FFX2: Eternal Requiem
by Nightfire04
Summary: Ben's back in his home world now, after Yuna's pilgrimage has ended. But, what happens when he returns to Spira, to combat another evil a thousand years in the making? Sequel to Destiny's Call, second in the Clouded Horizons series.
1. Chapter 1: Return To Action

Well, finally, Destiny's Call has bookended itself. But a new story is just beginning. So, without further ado, I present FFX-2: Eternal Requiem. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 1—Return to Action

It's been about a week since I returned from my adventure with Yuna and the others. Now that I'm back, I can see just how boring my life here really is. Compared to the adventure I just had, that is. Never thought that I would fall in love with Rikku either, but I guess there are just some things you can't prepare for.

"I miss being there," I say to myself, as I lay on my bed, looking at my Sphere Grid. I still have it, as well as the stuff that I had when I left. Items, Gil, all the stuff like that. They don't seem to have any effect now, though. Guess they lose their power in my world, since stuff like that doesn't exist. The Sphere Grid still functions, however. Even though I still can't use any of my magic.

"Thinking?" someone says, interrupting my thoughts. Looking up, I'm a little startled to see the fayth standing there, though nowhere near as startled as I was the first time he did it.

"Yeah, that's basically it. So, why are you here this time?" I say, returning to my examination of the Sphere Grid.

"Do you want to return?" he asks simply, and I sit up quickly.

"You have my attention," I say, smiling.

"Good. The other fayth and I took some time to think about it, and we've decided to give you a chance to return, to help Yuna once more. Since you performed so well the first time around, that is," he explains.

"Yuna's in the Gullwings, now, correct?" I ask, to which the fayth nods.

"That's right. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just so I know what I'm getting myself into this time," I say, smirking. The fayth smiles back at me.

"I suppose I had that one coming."

"Yep, sure did," I say, grabbing my sword off its wall mount once more. "So, same way I got there last time?" I ask.

The fayth nods. "Yes, with one small change. You may pick where you end up this time."

Thinking for a moment, I look down at the floor, before finally choosing my destination. "I want to end up inside the stadium where Rikku and Paine are. You know where I mean," I tell him, causing him to smile.

"Yes. I know where," he says, beginning to chant the portal spell again.

"One moment. Let me change first," I say, walking into my closet and shutting the door behind me.

A minute later, I exit the closet. Now, I'm dressed in the familiar white shirt, black khakis, and black jacket that I wore the first time I arrived in Spira. Pulling on a pair of black tennis shoes, I grab my old backpack and stuff my silver shoes and my other outfit into it, throwing my Gil and items in as an afterthought. Suddenly, the portal back to Spira springs to life in front of me.

"Are you ready?" he asks, to which I nod.

"This time, I'm more than ready," I reply, grabbing my katana and wakizashi, strapping them to my back and side, before walking into the portal without hesitation.

* * *

As the familiar dizziness that comes from using the portal wears off, I look around. I am, indeed, in the stadium where the concert is to be held. It hasn't started yet, as I can't hear any music playing.

"Wonder if..." I trail off, finding a secluded spot for a moment. "Fire!" I yell, pointing my hand at a wall. Nothing happens. "Dang. Can't use my old skills. Makes sense, though." I can hear people yelling now, and notice everyone filing into the stadium for the concert, guards having to maintain order as the enormous crowd gains access

"Better make myself scarce," I mutter, running down a hallway. Turning a corner, I notice a door that is labeled 'Machinery - No Entry'. A guard is standing in front of the door, apparently guarding it from intruders. Like me, in a moment. Walking towards the door, as if I'm going to walk right past it, I suddenly turn and slam my fist into the guard's face, knocking him out cold. "Perfect," I say to myself, walking into the door to the machinery area. Looking around, I notice a few of the flying machines that the band members are using. They seem to be spares.

'_Guess no one will mind me 'borrowing' one, then...' _I think to myself, smirking.

As I get on the machine, I take a moment to learn the controls. Finding the autopilot feature, I make a note of it, and steer the machine out of an exit door, and out towards the concert platform. Suddenly, I can hear the crowd erupt into screams and cheers, and music begins to play.

_(Play FFX-2 theme Real Emotion)_

_What can I do for you? _

"Oh yeah. This will be fun," I say, flying the machine low to the ground. A number of other people are near me, on the same machines, except these are labeled 'Security.' The song continues to play, and I sneak a peek towards the top of the stands, noticing Rikku bash someone over the head and jump onto a platform. Paine soon follows, knocking another guard out and sliding down a stair rail to jump onto the platform. As the song nears the end of the first chorus, I get an evil smile on my face. It's time to crash this little concert.

Maneuvering the machine closer to the stage, I quickly set the autopilot on, the machine continuing in a circular path around the platform. With a quick look towards the platform, I leap off the machine and onto the platform, landing in a crouch. I can see the look on Yuna's face, and she looks a little surprised, but keeps singing anyway.

"Hey, you!" I hear someone shout, and I look around to see two guards jump off of their security fliers, one advancing on me from either side. Smirking, I drop into a fighting stance, moving slightly with the music. Just to make the people think this is all part of the show, that is. As the guards advance, I suddenly spring from my spot, smashing a palm into the stomach of the one to my right. Spinning, I trip the one on my left with a quick leg sweep, before hopping back to let them recover. I'm going to have fun with this.

The one I punched recovers first and charges me, a fist breezing by my face, followed by another punch that I duck. Grinning, I duck again, just in time for the other to attack from behind, his punch instead almost hitting his friend in the face. Standing back up, I stab my fingers out into the throat of the guard facing me, and just as quickly reverse my right arm's momentum. My elbow catches the guard behind me in the face, and he goes down yet again, rubbing his jaw.

My entire fighting style for now has seemed like a dance routine, my body fighting to the rhythm of the song. As it comes to the last chorus, I decide it's time to end it. Spinning around, my left heel catches the downed guard behind me in the side of the head in a sweep kick, knocking him out. As the other guard approaches me again, I simply bring my right leg up in a high kick, catching him under the chin and lifting him up slightly before he falls, out cold as well. Smirking, I dance a little with the music as the song ends, a platform behind me quickly advancing from the sound of things.

_(End FFX-2 theme Real Emotion)_

Rikku and Paine suddenly jump onto the stage behind me, the platform flying off again. Rikku speaks first, glaring at Yuna.

"Hey! Give it back already!" she says, causing me to smile.

"Boys?" Yuna says, in a slightly different voice than I remember. Two strangely dressed men appear, their outfits completely purple with something similar to veils covering their faces. A heart is also drawn onto the veil. "You want in on this number? Then show me your moves!" Yuna says, using some kind of move on the two goons. I recognize the move as Ecstasy, and drop back into a fighting stance as Paine speaks up.

_(Play FFX-2 theme YuRiPa Battle 1)_

"Think you can keep up?" she says, drawing the sword of her Warrior dressphere, Rikku drawing her signature dagger-type weapons as well.

"Didn't think you could leave me out of this, now did you?" I say, grinning. Rikku's face lights up upon realizing who I am.

"Ben!" she exclaims, and I turn to her and smile.

"That's right! I'm back! Let's take care of these clowns!" I say, charging the one on the right before Paine can react. Dodging a horribly thrown punch, I slam my fist into the veil, connecting with the goon's face, throwing him down and out of the fight. Rikku charges the other goon, slashing him across the chest with her daggers, throwing him away as well. Paine sheathes her sword and charges Yuna, throwing a punch that's narrowly dodged. Yuna throws a punch of her own, but Paine blocks it and kicks her in the side, causing her to wince. Another punch, and Yuna staggers back, Paine smirking.

"I could've danced all night," she says, as Yuna shrugs.

"Sorry, no time for an encore," she says, throwing down an object, which explodes into a flash of light. Rubbing my eyes, I regain my vision in time to catch a glimpse of Yuna's blue and black outfit disappearing out the front gate of the stadium.

"There she goes!" I yell, hopping onto a flier with Rikku and Paine. We quickly fly down to ground level and hop off, chasing Yuna out the gates of Luca Stadium.

'_Boy, Leblanc, you're even more pathetic in person...' _I think to myself, chuckling on the inside. As we round the corner, only knowing which way to go by catching another glimpse of Yuna's outfit, we're stopped in our tracks by two more of the goons.

"I'm gonna enjoy this," Paine says, drawing her sword, as we follow suit. Paine runs up to the goon before he can react, and with a quick swipe, sends him to the ground, a large gash across his chest. Rikku deals with the other one equally fast, knocking him to the dirt with several small cuts on him.

"They're just trying to slow us down!" I yell, frustrated. Rikku and Paine nod in agreement, as we round another corner and are ambushed by 3 goons this time. Needless to say, the fight goes pretty much the same way as the last. Utter beatdown. As we turn the corner now, we end up at a 3 way junction. We came in from the left, so that eliminates that way, but Yuna is nowhere to be seen in either of the other directions. Rikku starts to pout, upon noticing this.

_(End FFX-2 theme YuRiPa Battle 1)_

"Hey, you run too fast!" she says, to no one in particular.

"You're too slow, little girl."

A voice behind us breaks the silence, and we turn to see a tall, lanky man, dressed in a blue outfit. He has a pair of revolvers, one held in each hand, and a blue hat sits atop his head.

"Show's over! Bwahaha!" another man says, this one quite different from the other. He has a purplish-blue outfit on, and a giant shield-type object strapped to his back. Combine that with the fact he is about a couple inches shorter than me and quite chubby, and it almost makes him look like a turtle.

"Yeowch," Rikku says, a disgusted expression crossing her face.

"This way," Paine says, the three of us running towards the left of where we came from. It's a small extension, filled with crates at the back. Not an actual path.

Drawing my sword, I get ready for a fight, as the duo approaches. Suddenly, several gunshots ring out, peppering the ground near the two men's feet. And that can only mean one thing.

_(Play FFX-2 theme Yuna's Theme)_

As we watch, Yuna bounces off Ormi's shield and _over _their heads, twisting in mid air so she's facing them, before letting off another barrage of bullets from the front. The men dance, their feet being riddled with bullets, as Yuna lands in front of us. Smiling, I look at her.

"Remember me?" I ask, Yuna not having noticed me. Her eyes go wide, and she grins as she turns to face me.

"Ben! Of course I remember you!" she says, and I laugh.

"Thought so. But we'll have the reunion later. We've got some goons to smash!" I say, stepping forward.

"Bring it on!" the bulky man says, and I smirk.

"More than happy to oblige! Yuna, watch Logos for me!" I yell, charging Ormi.

Yuna nods, and starts firing towards Logos rapidly, apparently using her Trigger Happy ability. Each bullet strikes its mark, making Logos wince in pain. By the time he recovers, though, Rikku is already up in his face. Paine is behind me, deciding to help me out with the big guy. I bring my sword down, but Ormi reacts quickly, snapping the shield up to deflect my strike. Laughing, he smashes me away with the shield, but that gives Paine a perfect opportunity to bury her foot in his gut. He doubles over, and Paine smashes the flat of the sword into his chin, snapping his head back up.

Rikku is attacking Logos with a vengeance, quick and accurate strikes keeping him from retaliating at Yuna, who is also firing away at him. Despite Rikku being almost directly in front of him, Yuna never hits Rikku with a single shot. Logos tries to dodge away, but Rikku will have none of it, slashing twice more across his chest, causing him to fall to the ground. Rikku backs off, knowing he won't get back up.

Paine is continuing to beat Ormi down, using her feet and fists just as much as her sword. I jump in, bringing the sword down, and manage to cut a gash across Ormi's chest, knocking him down too.

"He even falls like a turtle..." I mutter, resisting the urge to chuckle. Just then, 'Yuna' walks back up, still dressed in the Songstress outfit.

_(End FFX-2 theme Yuna's Theme; play FFX-2 theme YuRiPa Battle 2)_

"Persistent, aren't you?" she says, earning a glare from the real Yuna.

"My grid," she says coldly, still glaring at her doppelganger.

"Give us back Yunie's Garment Grid right now!" Rikku yells, obviously quite mad as well.

The imposter holds a hand to her mouth, giggling softly. "Didn't you girls ever learn to share?" she taunts, putting a hand on her hip.

"Give it back," Yuna says, now even angrier at the imposter's arrogant actions. The imposter simply shrugs, pulling off a bracelet on her right wrist.

"Very well, it's yours," she says, throwing it to Yuna. Suddenly, a bright flash of light surrounds her, and she transforms back into who she really is. "But it won't be yours for long, loves!" Leblanc says, pointing a fan at Yuna. It's almost hard for me to take her seriously, considering what she's wearing. A completely purple outfit, revealing enough to leave little to the imagination, covers her body, and she holds a Japanese fan in her right hand. Really, I don't take her seriously. She's not hard to beat at all.

"Really now. Why don't you try and take it back, then?" I say, taunting the woman. "It's four on one, and you seem to be outnumbered."

"I may be outnumbered, but it won't take much to beat the likes of you!" she yells, running towards us. She brings the fan down at me, and I laugh...before I feel a sharp pain in my arm. I look at my right arm, and notice a long cut running down my forearm.

"Ow! So that's why you have that thing...it has a blade in it!" I exclaim, unprepared for the move. Bringing the sword across with my good arm, the flat of the blade catches her in the side, and Rikku and Paine both charge her. Rikku lands 2 nice slashes along her stomach, and Paine cuts her arm, making her drop the fan. Yuna, however, seems to be concentrating.

"Let's see how you like it!" she says, a bright light surrounding her as she jumps into the air. When she lands, and the light dies down, she's now dressed in the Songstress outfit, holding a microphone in her right hand.

"Keep your eyes on me!" she says, beginning to dance. Suddenly, a black cloud covers Leblanc's face, a result of the Darkness Dance ability.

"Ah! My eyes!" she yells, clutching at her face with her left hand.

"Payback time!" I yell, sheathing my sword and running up to her, sweeping her legs out from under her while she's blinded. Her back hits the ground with a loud thud, and she groans in pain, lying still for a moment as the cloud over her eyes fades away. After a moment, she stands up, glaring heatedly at us as she shakes her fan angrily.

"I won't let you off so easily next time!" she says, running away. Logos and Ormi follow her, and Rikku starts to run after her as well.

_(End FFX-2 theme YuRiPa Battle 2)_

"Get back here!" she yells, Paine putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Rikku," she says sternly, causing her to reluctantly stop her advance.

Yuna smiles, and then starts to dance around the pier we're standing on, laughing the whole time. Rikku and Paine look at her like she's nuts, as a massive airship descends down beside the pier we're on. Yuna finally stops dancing, as the airship lands on the water, and a ramp lowers for us to walk on.

"Come on! I can't wait to talk to you again!" Rikku says, practically dragging me onto the airship. Paine simply shakes her head, following us onto the ship, Yuna right beside her. As the airship door closes, and the whine of engines fill the air, I can't help but think one single thought.

'_What on Spira have I gotten myself into now...' _I think, as Rikku drags me towards the control room.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! Next chapter, Ben gets introduced to the Dresspheres and Garment Grids, and does some explaining of his own. As always, please review!


	2. Chapter 2: Reacquainting With Friends

Well, already 10 reviews for the first chapter! I'm somewhat surprised, but happy. Without further ado, on to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Of course.

Iron Reaver: Nope, second. Sorry. And yes, me saying 'ow' was funny.

Auron's Fan: Well, I finished the 42nd chapter of DC the day I posted it. When I posted it, I edited a little of the spacing on the trailer, and posted it. Later that evening, I edited some parts of the first chapter (which I had already written) of Eternal Requiem, and posted it. So, pretty much, yes. I did have all 3 written. And as for Ben taking notes of things, you'll have to wait and see...(smirk)

desert-tiger: Well, do we REALLY know? Because things might not go the way you think...(evil grin)

Fallenone: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Fallenone! You'll see how I get the storyline in. I did it to FFX, and I'll do it to this one too.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Yeah, I had fun writing that first part. Was amusing.

SmkViper: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Viper! You'll get to see one this chapter, but as for the Special Dressphere, it won't show up for a while. I have it completely designed and such, though. As for Mascot? I'm not sure if I'll even get that, but probably so. I know what it'll be if I do, too. (grin)

helusbuub: Welcome to Eternal Requiem! Hope you enjoy the story.

XxCougarxX: You'll find out what he thinks this chapter, but not for another chapter or two will you discover his standard one.

Spira's Bard: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, SB! Glad to see you read my other story as well, so everything in here will make sense. So far, indeed...you never know what might happen...

Well, without any further delay, onwards!

* * *

Chapter 2—Reacquainting With Friends

"Fru ec drec?" is the first thing I hear upon entering the control room, courtesy of Brother.

"Brother, drec ec Ben! Ra fyc fedr ic uh Yunie'c bemknesyka dfu oaync yku!" Rikku replies.

"Famm, fro ec ra pylg rana!" Brother yells.

"Dra vyodr ycgat sa ev E fyhdat du nadinh, yht E cyet oac. Cu, E's pylg," I say, causing Rikku to smile and hug me.

"Oui nasaspan!" she cries, laughing, Yuna laughing along with her.

"Tir. Oui drehg E't vunkad?" I say, smiling.

"You said the fayth asked you if you wanted to return. Why did you choose to?" Yuna asks me, and I turn to face her.

"Well, my world's boring. That's really all that needs to be said, don't you think?" I reply, grinning stupidly. Everyone in the room laughs, including Brother after a moment. "Besides, I just couldn't help but come back, to see Rikku again," I say, smiling at my old girlfriend, who laughs.

"So, how old are you now? Nineteen?" Yuna asks, and I shake my head.

"Nope. I'm seventeen, still," I say, awaiting the inevitable response. Rikku answers first.

"But...but how are you only seventeen! It's been two years since you left!" she stammers, and I laugh.

"Forgot to explain this before I left. Time moves differently in my world than it does here. The two years I've been gone, has really only been a week in my world. So, I'm really only a week older than I was when Yuna's pilgrimage ended," I say, grinning. Everyone just stares in disbelief at me, and I can't help but laugh. "What? There's nothing wrong with it..." I say, still grinning, and Yuna just laughs, Rikku joining in, while Paine shakes her head.

"Paine, you haven't said a word? Surprising," I say, looking over at the black-clad girl. Paine's jaw actually drops, as she fumbles for words.

"How...how does he...?" she stammers, and I chuckle, as Yuna speaks.

"He just does. He did it a lot during my pilgrimage too. We just kind of...grew to accept it."

"Yeah, I have that little quirk, huh, Yuna?" I ask, leaning against the wall. Yuna just shakes her head, and I sigh, looking around. "So, this is the Celsius, I take it. Interesting ship you've got here."

"Yeah! We're the Gullwings now!" Rikku shouts, enthusiastically.

"Allow me to explain," Paine says, looking over at me. "We're..."

"Sphere hunters. I know," I interrupt, looking back at the girl. "No explanations needed, for the most part. I know what I got myself into." Walking around, I take a moment to examine the bridge. It reminds me of the bridge of the old airship, looking a lot like it in design. Walking over to a table, I pick up a strange bracelet, turning it over and looking at it. "The Garment Grid, I take it?" I ask Yuna, who nods.

"It lets us use Dresspheres to fight, but I'm sure you already knew that." she says, with a smile. Smiling back, I nod.

"Yeah. I know about them, but firsthand, I have no clue how they work."

"Then we'll just have to show you!" Rikku says, bounding over to me.

"So, what are you saying? That I'm a member of the Gullwings now?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"What do you think?" she replies, and I shrug.

"You tell me."

"Of course you are, silly!" Rikku says, punching me on the shoulder playfully.

"Yuna, Paine, Brother, you guys have no objections?" I ask, and Yuna shakes her head.

"I'm not quite sure who you are, but they seem to know you. I suppose it's fine," Paine says, and Brother walks up to me.

"Fine, you're in! Just remember...I am the leader here!" Brother says, and I nod.

"Whatever you say, _mister leader_," I reply, chuckling. Brother looks annoyed at me now, and I can already tell that I'm going to drive him nuts.

"Here," Paine says, tossing me a Garment Grid bracelet. "You'll need this."

"Thanks." Looking it over closely for a moment, I put it on and check the Dresspheres set inside of it. The standard ones, it seems. Warrior, Thief, Gunner, and Songstress. This will be interesting to learn to use. As I continue to look at the bracelet, the door opens, and Shinra walks in.

"Who's he?" Shinra asks, pointing at me.

"Shinra, this is Ben. You remember what I told you about him, right?" Yuna says, to which Shinra nods.

"So, this is the other High Summoner I heard so much about from Yuna," Shinra says, and I quirk an eyebrow.

"High Summoner?" I ask, turning to Yuna.

"Yes. They made you a High Summoner as well, since you did help defeat Sin, you know."

"Hmm...I suppose so, then." Shrugging, I turn back to Shinra. "So, I take it you're the kid genius?"

"That's right."

"Heh. Thought so. Well, as you already know me, I'll just take a look around here." Turning quickly, I walk out of the bridge, and head to the cabin.

* * *

"Nice little place..." I mutter, looking around the confines of the cabin. A small, spiraling staircase leads up to a second area, with three beds and a couch. Other than that, there isn't much in the cabin.

"Who are yoo?"

Turning, I come face to face with a Hypello, standing behind a counter on the right side of the cabin.

"The name's Ben. You're...?"

"Barkeep, at yoor servicesh." he says, and I smile a little at the accent.

"Nice to meet you," I say, taking a final look around and walking back to the elevator, heading back to the bridge.

* * *

"You sure looked like you were enjoying yourself," Rikku says to Yuna, as I re-enter the bridge.

"I was. It felt like some other person's excitement just took over."

"That can happen when you use the Garment Grid. The emotions of the person recorded in the sphere pass to the user," Shinra explains.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Rikku asks, seemingly a little nervous.

"I can't really say," Shinra replies.

"But it's your invention!" Buddy says, to which Shinra shrugs.

"I'm just a kid."

"Dancing Yuna? I want to see!" Brother says, causing me to groan inwardly.

"It'll cost you!" Yuna says, giggling.

"One moment..." Brother replies, digging in his pockets.

"She's kidding," Paine says, flatly. I'm beginning to like her already.

"What? No dance?" Brother asks her, and Yuna shakes her head, causing Brother to sigh. Suddenly, an alarm rings out over the control room, Buddy running over to his seat and leaping in, typing furiously on a keyboard.

"Ehlusehk tydy! Gullwings, du ouin cdydeuhc!" Brother shouts, and Shinra moves to his computer, beginning to type as well.

"This may take a few minutes. You guys might want to find something to do," Buddy replies, and we all nod.

"Come on! Let's give you the grand tour!" Rikku says, practically dragging me to the elevator.

"Aah! Yuna, Paine, anyone? Help?" I yell, as I'm dragged down the hall and into the elevator. I can hear Yuna laughing as the doors close, and I think I can hear Paine chuckling too.

A few minutes later, Rikku has shown me the entirety of the airship. It's a lot bigger on the inside than was shown in the game, too. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine each have a room, as does Brother, Buddy, and Shinra. Barkeep sleeps in the cabin, I believe, and there are a number of other rooms as well. They're simple bedrooms, I assume for anyone else that might have happened to join the Gullwings. As we're heading back to the bridge, Brother's voice suddenly comes over the intercom.

"Cbrana fyja yhymocec lusbmada! Gullwings, report to the bridge!"

"Hm. Guess that's our cue," I tell Rikku, who nods. Sprinting to the elevator, we quickly ascend back to the bridge, and run into the main control room.

"So, what's up?" Rikku asks Buddy, who turns around to face us."Treasure sphere waves! They're coming from those ruins they found at Gagazet!" he exclaims, and we all nod.

"All right!" Rikku yells, pumping a fist into the air in excitement.

"Haqd cdub: Gagazet!" Brother yells, as Buddy begins to pilot the Celsius to the towering Mount Gagazet. Walking over to a table, Yuna picks up and hands me a small earpiece.

"What's this?"

"Intercom. It lets us keep in touch with the Celsius while we're on missions." Yuna replies, and I shrug, placing the earpiece in. My first mission as a Gullwing. This will be fun.

* * *

"Neat..." I mutter, as we approach the ruins on top of Mount Gagazet. Seeing them far away is neat, but being near them is even better.

"Hey, the rocks are floating!" Yuna exclaims, pointing.

"Don't tell me we gotta climb up that thing!" Rikku adds.

"No worries. I'll take you to the top," Buddy replies, the Celsius beginning to climb towards the very top of the ruins. After a minute, we finally find a spot that we can get to, and Yuna, Paine, and Rikku lead me to a bay on the Celsius. As the door opens, they jump out, one by one. Paine first, then Rikku, then Yuna. I jump off last, looking down quickly, before looking back at Rikku. Suddenly, Yuna wobbles, and falls over the side.

"Yuna!" Rikku and Paine exclaim, quickly grabbing her arms. I grab onto Yuna's arms as well, and begin to help pull her up. It's taking considerable effort from the three of us, however.

"What's your status?" Brother asks over the intercom, obviously worried.

"Disasterriffic!"

"'Disasterrific' is not a word! Say 'disastrous' like the rest of Spira!" he retorts, and Rikku grunts.

"I'm not listening..."

"Rikku! Come in!" he yells again, and I grimace.

"You want me to hurt him?" Paine asks, lifting Yuna up an inch or two with our help.

"That'd be great," Rikku replies, and I nod.

"I'll help..."

"Come in!" he yells again, louder this time.

"Heave ho!" Rikku and Paine say, as the three of us finally manage to drag Yuna back up onto the ledge. Taking deep breaths, Yuna looks at the three of us.

"Thanks," she says, standing up. "That was a little close."

"A little?" Paine asks, crossing her arms.

"Come in!" Brother yells once again, nearly making me rip the transmitter from my ear. He's beginning to get on my nerves.

"We're here. Everything's fine now," Yuna tells him.

"Yuna, keep an eye on Rikku!" Brother tells us, and Yuna nods.

"You got it!"

"Alright, should we get moving?" I ask, and Yuna nods, beginning to lead us over the cliffs of the ruins.

* * *

After a minute of running, we're suddenly stopped by two fiends. A bat-type fiend, with a solitary eyeball in the center of it's body, and a four-legged, insectoid creature. It reminds me of Klikk in a way. Yuna draws her pistols, Rikku and Paine drawing their weapons as well as we prepare to fight the creature. Drawing my sword, I'm stopped by a shout from Yuna.

"Ben, try the dresspheres!" she shouts, and I nod. Focusing on the ones I have equipped, I quickly pick the one I want to shift into, and focus on it alone. Jumping into the air, I bring my hands into a diamond-shape in front of me, before spreading my arms out wide, a bright flash of light engulfing me. When it clears, I'm now in a completely black outfit, consisting of a long-sleeved shirt with chest armor, as well as a pair of long, black pants. A pair of black boots adorn my feet, and a long, slender, blue sword is in my right hand. This is my Warrior dressphere. Taking another look at the sword, my eyes go wide as I realize something.

'_This...this is Shuyin's sword...but how?' _I think to myself, my thoughts being cut off by a shout from Rikku.

"Look out!"

My head snaps up just in time to see the Takouba fiend dive at me, front forelegs extended for a strike. Quickly spinning out of the way, I bring the sword down hard on its head, cutting a gash in the top. A duo of slashes cut into the creature's head next, courtesy of Rikku, and the Ahriman fiend brings its wings in, before launching a ray of energy at Paine. The girl takes the hit, grunting a little, but showing no other signs of injury. Yuna turns to the fiend now, carefully aiming, before unleashing a shower of bullets, the Trigger Happy attack ripping into the fiend and sending it to the ground. Paine runs up, and with one final strike, cleaves the fiend in two, both bodies fading away into pyreflies.

"Well...that was amusing," I say, shouldering the sword and chuckling. But inside, however, I'm somewhat confused. Deciding to put those thoughts aside, I continue to follow Yuna and the others towards the summit of Gagazet.

A few minutes later, after jumping over numerous gaps in the path, we arrive at what appears to be an elevator. A button is on the far wall, obviously the control to the elevator.

"A dead end," Paine says, Rikku putting her hands on her hips.

"Just great."

"Think this machina still works?" Yuna chimes in, pointing to the elevator. All of us walk over to examine it, before Yuna presses the button. Nothing happens for a moment, but then the elevator starts to shake, and descend slowly.

"I wonder how safe this is..." Yuna says, and as if taking a cue from her words, the elevator suddenly makes a sharp lurch down, rocketing towards the bottom. All of us scream, and are nearly taken off our feet, before the elevator hits the ground below, knocking all of us off our feet completely.

"It stopped..." Yuna mutters, Rikku groaning in pain.

"Owwie," she mumbles, all of us standing up.

"What happened? Is Yuna okay?" Brother asks over the intercom.

"Things are..." Yuna begins, searching for the right word, before sighing, "...disasterrific."

"Disasterrific? I am on my way!" Brother says, the comlink cutting itself off again.

"What about me?" Rikku asks, a little too late. Rikku's head falls a little, and I chuckle, Yuna beginning to lead us all to the top of the ruins once again.

After another minute or two of walking, we come across a large platform, one side of the ruins that is larger than most of the rest of the trail that we've been walking on. A scuffling behind us suddenly catches our attention, and we all stop, turning around.

"Who's there?" Yuna asks, and the familiar figure of Leblanc suddenly walks into view.

"Er, Leblanc. Remember that name well, loves!" she says, and Yuna's eyes narrow.

"Ah, the thief."

"Back for round two?" I ask, smirking.

"Whatever do you mean?" Leblanc says, snorting. "That's what I hate about amateurs..."

"Maybe she'll go away if we ignore her," Rikku whispers to all of us, causing me to chuckle.

"You! I heard that!" Leblanc yells, obviously angered. "Just as I was saying: amateurs. They have no concept of what it takes to be a true sphere hunter," she finishes, seemingly talking to herself instead of us.

"Amateurs? Weren't you following us?" Paine asks, bluntly.

"Following?" she says, waving a hand in the air to dismiss the query. "A mere coincidence." As Leblanc finishes speaking, Logos and Ormi walk up behind her.

"You was right, Boss, as always," Ormi says, grabbing his shield from off of his back.

"Indeed, following them has paid off splendidly." We all giggle at that statement from Logos, proving Paine's suspicions.

"Laugh while you can!" Leblanc says, grabbing her fan as Logos draws his revolvers. Hefting my sword off my shoulder, I drop into a battle stance, as Logos aims at me. Snapping off a quick pair of shots, the bullets force me back, as Yuna retaliates with a salvo of her own.

"Blind them!" Rikku yells, and I nod, knowing what she's getting at. Focusing again, I jump into the air, and the light covers me again, as I change into the Songstress dressphere. Landing, I take a quick look at myself, and stare. Unlike the Warrior dressphere, which seems to have worked fine, the Songstress dressphere has not. Now, I'm garbed in much the same outfit as Yuna would be. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine simply stare at me, and Leblanc and her gang burst out in laughter.

"You know, I would say I didn't expect this, but I would be lying." I say, feeling my face go a bright red. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all laugh now, and I sigh, quickly focusing on another dressphere. The light covers me again, and as it recedes, I find myself in the Gunner dressphere. A white tank top now covers my chest, a pair of blue jean shorts stopping just above my knees. A pair of holsters are attached to either side of my waist, and a pair of white bands are on the upper part of my right arm, one above the other. Drawing my pistols, I glare at Ormi, before pointing both pistols at him sideways.

"Eat this!" I yell, furiously, before firing rapidly, my Trigger Happy attack getting about 9 hits on him before I stop. Yuna does the same to Logos, as Paine draws her sword and goes blade to fan with Leblanc. Rikku runs up to Logos as Yuna quits firing, and swipes something from him, before running back to us. Ormi suddenly begins to spin, and throws his shield at Paine, knocking the girl away from Leblanc. Logos now takes a duo of shots at Rikku, and Rikku staggers back. Leblanc finds an opening in all the fighting, and charges at Yuna, only earning a shot in the stomach for her troubles. Stumbling back, Leblanc is immediately set upon by Rikku, who slashes twice at her before backing off. Aiming carefully, I shoot Logos in the chest, before Paine runs in and slashes up at Logos, knocking the taller man to the ground.

"Bwahaha!" Ormi laughs, before throwing his shield at Yuna, who ducks as it flies overhead and back to Ormi. As Ormi catches it, Rikku slashes twice at his arms, causing him to drop the shield, just as Paine runs in and slashes him in the chest. Stumbling back, Yuna and I both take a shot at Ormi, knocking him to the ground.

"You'll pay for that!" Leblanc yells, and runs to me, slashing down with her fan. I block the strike with one of my pistols, before kicking her away. Rikku runs in, and slashes once at Leblanc's arm, causing her to drop the fan, and again in the chest, sending her staggering back, off balance.

"Hmph! And this is the thanks I get for going easy on you!" Leblanc yells, before throwing an object to the ground, a cloud of smoke covering the area. When it recedes, we can see the trio in the distance, running inside of a doorway that leads higher into the ruins.

"Come on!" I yell, charging after the group. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine nod, beginning to run alongside me.

"I wouldn't try that again, Ben!" Rikku says, giggling, which causes Yuna to giggle, and Paine to smirk.

"Gee, Rikku, you think?" I retort, an indescribable look on my face as we run along the platform towards the door.

* * *

Well, first mission is underway! The insanity...well, it'll probably only get worse. You'll have to keep reading to find out! As always, please review!


	3. Chapter 3: Bittersweet Rivalry

Well, three chapters in almost the same number of days! I've had quite the bit of inspiration to write this story. Anyway, on to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Oh, you'll see just WHY it happened this chapter. It won't surprise you.

Iron Reaver: ...Am not.

Auron's Fan: Well, you get to see the 'true' Songstress for Ben this chapter.

XxCougarxX: If it was that funny to you, imagine how I felt. I was writing the scene, and picturing it as I typed. Oo Anyhow...translator? Try searching google, as doesn't like linking.

OCAdam: Homestar Runner! (cough) You reviewed after I had put the second chapter up, that's why. Reviews that I get after I post the next chapter usually don't get answered until the chapter after. Like this. The fayth still exist, they just aren't confined to the temples. Now, for the most part, they've gone on to the Farplane. Or that's what I believe, anyway. I already have my Special Dressphere planned out completely, too, but the idea is interesting.

Fallen-Angel-2009: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, FA! Glad to see another reviewer.

desert-tiger: The only person coming to my mind is Duo Maxwell from Gundam Wing, but I'm not sure if that's who you're referring to. But as for insanity? More insanity than you can reasonably shake a stick at. And plot twists.

SS5Matt: It's fine. Hope you enjoy the sequel!

And now, on to the mission!

* * *

Chapter 3—Bittersweet Rivalry 

As we approach the door that will lead us inside another part of the ruins, Logos suddenly steps out, accompanied by 2 goons.

"You look a tad flushed. Why not stop to catch your breath?" he asks, drawing his revolvers.

Drawing my pistols, I quickly aim at the goon on my left, Yuna aiming for the one on the right, as Rikku and Paine ready themselves to attack Logos. Yuna and I both use Trigger Happy on the goons, forcing them back, as Rikku and Paine use a combination attack on Logos. Rikku slashes across Logos' waist, as Paine's sword moves over Rikku's head, cutting into his chest. Logos quickly fires off a burst of shots, his Hail of Bullets attack, forcing Rikku and Paine back. Both kneel to the ground, the bullets having injured them quite a bit due to being so close.

"Big mistake..." I mutter, crossing my pistols, before dropping them, the light surrounding me again as I spherechange to my Warrior dressphere. Grabbing the sword, I dash towards Logos, roaring as I go.

"Power Break!"

The attack cuts upwards across Logos' chest, and he stumbles, allowing Yuna to get off another Trigger Happy attack on him. Rikku and Paine have now recovered, and Paine runs in with a diagonal slash, throwing Logos to the ground. As he lies there, groaning, I sheathe my sword, running into the open doorway. Everyone follows behind me, but taking a quick look back, I notice Logos get up and run away, obviously to meet up with Leblanc. Wherever she is, that is.

The part of the ruins we're in now is filled with pits, causing us to either jump in and climb out of them, or jump over them. Most of the time, we jump clear over, but sometimes they're too wide to leap. As we approach the exit to the curving tunnel, we're confronted by Ormi, accompanied by two male goons and a female.

"Let's show the ladies a nice warm welcome!" Ormi says, and I growl.

"Just who are you calling a lady?" I ask, eyes narrowed. Ormi just chuckles, grabbing his shield, and I unsheathe my sword, turning to Yuna.

"You guys take the goons. This jerk's mine."

"Come and get me!" Ormi yells, and I move into melee range, starting with an overhead chop that clangs off the shield, before Ormi smashes me with it. Tumbling back to the ground, I roll out of the way of a stomp from one goon, right before Paine hurls him away with a quick sword slash. Standing back up, I focus again, and call up the Songstress dressphere once again. This time, however, things are different. As the light clears, I smile as I examine myself. I'm now dressed in a pair of long,black pants, with a white belt. A blue, short sleeved shirt adorns my chest, with white ruffles around the ends of the sleeves and the collar.My right hand holds a microphone stand similar to the ones used by Yuna and the others, and a pair of white shoes cover my feet.

"Keep your eyes on me!" I yell, beginning to dance, and I smile at the sight of a black cloud, covering Ormi's eyes. As he stumbles around, I smirk. Normally, the Songstress dressphere isn't really used for offensive attacks, but I'm going to change that. Running up to Ormi, I bury my foot in his gut, causing him to double over. As the wind flies from his lungs, I bring my knee upwards, connecting squarely with his face. As his upper body snaps back up, his vision coming back due to me stopping the dance, I spin into a kick, launching him off his feet as my foot connects with his chest.

Turning, I see Yuna, Rikku, and Paine staring at me, having quickly and easily dispatched the goons. Shrugging, I stare at them for a moment, before spherechanging back to Warrior.

"What? Never seen a dancing guy fight before?" I ask, smirking.

"Not with the Songstress dressphere..." Yuna says, and I chuckle.

"Hey, I have a violent streak. It's what I do. Now, let's go stop Leblanc from finding _our _sphere!" I say, running along the circular path towards the next part of the ruins. Ormi got away while we were talking, but there's little we could've done about it anyway.

As we circle around the platform, we come across a staircase, at the top of a bunch of broken rocks. Shrugging, I begin to climb the rocks, everyone else following after a moment. As we reach the top, we take a quick look around, before climbing the staircase. A funny sight greets us when we arrive. Leblanc is hanging off of a piece of rock, Logos and Ormi hanging on to her in a chain formation in order to keep from falling.

"Would-would you stop staring!" Leblanc sputters, and we just shake our heads, walking along the short path into a large, open room made of stone. On a pedestal in front of us is a glowing, orange sphere. Looking around, I stare at the ceiling, and Yuna, Rikku, and Paine follow my gaze. A large, spider-type creature is standing on the ceiling, and suddenly drops down in front of us.

_(Play Ben's Theme, Sandstorm - Darude)_

Drawing my sword, I prepare for a fight, as Yuna takes the first move. Firing rapidly at the creature, Rikku also spherechanges to Gunner and begins firing, apparently thinking her blades won't have much effect.

"Power Break!" Paine yells, running in and slashing at the creature, which grunts, before slapping Paine away with a leg.

"Come on, you overgrown spider!" I yell, slashing away at a leg, Yuna and Rikku firing at the creature's face. The creature, Boris, growls, smashing a leg into the ground between Yuna and Rikku, causing them to stop firing and dodge. Paine runs in again, jumping and slashing at the creature's face. The sword cuts deeply, and Boris screeches in pain, knocking Paine and myself away before launching an attack on me. A leg comes down at me, and I roll out of the way, just in time to get hit with another leg swipe from Boris, sending me back into a wall.

"Ben!" Rikku exclaims, firing madly at Boris' face, the creature staggering with the hits. Yuna joins in again then, shooting at the joints in the legs of the fiend. Boris' legs start to weaken, the creature beginning to limp, its attacks becoming slower and less powerful, as Paine suddenly slices right through a leg. The fiend falls, and I slowly stand up, gulping down a Potion and running over. Paine and I stab our swords into the creature's head, finally killing it, as Yuna and Rikku walk towards the pedestal.

_(End Ben's Theme, Sandstorm)_

"Found it!" Yuna exclaims, grabbing the sphere and examining it. As she does, Leblanc and her gang walks in, Leblanc folding her arms over her chest.

"It's obvious to the trained eye. That sphere's just a dud. Perfect for the Dullwings," Leblanc says, an air of superiority in her voice, as Logos and Ormi laugh.

"You know, why don't you guys just get out of here? Before I decide to take some anger out on you, that is..." I say, letting the threat hang as I point my sword at them. Leblanc simply snorts, as the trio walks out.

"Youth wins again!" Rikku says, giggling, as Yuna holds the sphere up.

"Well, I guess we'll be taking this!" she says, turning and leading us all out of the room.

"Brother! Mission complete!" Rikku says over the comlink, as the Celsius descends, hovering next to the path.

"Brother? He's not with you?" Buddy's voice replies, as the Celsius lowers a ladder for us to climb back on board with.

* * *

As we re-enter the bridge, we find Brother, lying in the middle of the floor and holding his stomach. Shaking my head, I walk over to the computer, Shinra looking at Brother from his chair. 

"He said something about Yuna being in trouble, then he just jumped ship," Buddy explains, standing over the downed Brother.

"And here he is," Shinra adds, causing me to chuckle.

"He's alive, right? Just leave him there," Rikku says, causing me to laugh. Paine walks over to Shinra, and hands him the sphere.

"Can you analyze the sphere we found?" she asks, and Shinra spins, inserting the sphere into his computer.

"I'm on it."

"Thank you, Brother," Yuna tells him, kneeling down beside him.

"It was...it's nothing!" he replies, groaning a little.

"Don't strain yourself," Yuna says, and Brother shakes his head.

"A leader must be tough," he tells her, reaching up as if to hug her. As Yuna stands up, Rikku runs over and kicks Brother in the leg.

"Sicko!" she yells, causing me to laugh again.

"Geez, Rikku, go easy on the guy!" I say, not really meaning it, though. Shinra stands up then, looking over all of us.

"Analysis complete. Wanna watch the sphere?" All of us nod, and walk over to Shinra's computer, a panel beginning to show the sphere.The sphere fades in on a view of Zanarkand, a thousand years ago. A man is using the sphere as a camera, much like Jecht did on Braska's pilgrimage.

"I can't believe I actually got a ticket!" the man exclaims, apparently overjoyed by his luck. "What a thrill, to be able to shake her hand like that!" The scene continues for a moment, before the sphere fades out.

"Think it's worth anything?" Yuna asks, folding her hands behind her back.

"It's not very exciting," Rikku adds.

"Junk," Paine states bluntly, as Shinra turns around.

"But we can use it as a dressphere," he says, and I look at Shinra, Yuna, and Rikku.

"Speaking of dresspheres...did you guys mess with my Songstress dressphere earlier?" I ask, a slight grin creeping over Yuna and Rikku's faces.

"Maybe..." Rikku replies, grinning.

"Come on. Out with it," I say, shaking my head.

"Alright, we did. As a joke. It was Rikku's idea!" Yuna says, obviously trying to get herself out of it.

"Yep...I'm going to have to watch myself here...I'm going to find myself a room," I mutter, smiling and walking away. Leaving the bridge, I enter the elevator, heading to the part of the Celsius where the rooms are located. A barracks of sorts, I suppose. Walking past Yuna, Rikku, and Paine's room, I come to a door opposite Paine's, and open it, walking inside. It's a simple room, reminding me of a college dormitory room. Small enough for me, yet big enough to hold my things.

"This will do nicely," I say, sitting on the bed and looking around.

'_I wonder why I have Shuyin's sword? There must be a reason for it, a logical explanation...but I have this feeling that the explanation is anything but logical...'_

"Can I come in?" A voice at the door knocks me out of my thoughts, and I turn to see Rikku standing at the door, grinning.

"Sure," I tell her, causing her to sit on the bed next to me. "Nice little prank you pulled on me. Remind me to kill Leblanc and her two stooges for laughing at me," I say, Rikku laughing.

"Oh, lighten up!" she says, my face going from a normal expression to another indistinguishable one, somewhere in between an annoyed look and exasperation.

"Lighten up? I found myself in a skirt. I'm gonna say that's plenty of cause to be annoyed," I reply, causing her to laugh harder.

"You said you expected it!"

"Doesn't mean I liked it."

"Oh, come on!" Rikku says, grabbing me by the arm. "Let's get back to the bridge! I think Buddy has something to tell us!" Sighing, I let myself be led back to the bridge by Rikku.

"There you are!" Yuna says, looking at us as we enter. "Check this out!" she tells us, pointing to Buddy.

"Seems like there's a treasure sphere on the beach at Besaid. Want to check it out?"

"Sure, I guess," I reply, looking around. "Alone?"

"If you want," Yuna replies. Thinking for a moment, I nod.

"Alright. I need some time to think anyway," I reply, walking towards the exit of the Celsius.

* * *

Stepping off onto the sandy expanse of the Besaid beach, I look around, not seeing anything immediately. 

"Well, this place is big, but there has to be a semi-obvious place for a sphere to be...where, though..." I mutter, looking around. My eyes are drawn to a cliff, a small one with a ruined building on top. Smiling, I head towards it. "Bingo. Sphere, here I come."

As I climb up the ledge, I'm surprised to see someone else standing on the cliff, in front of the building. Obviously hearing me, the person turns to face me as I drag myself up to the top. It's a young boy, about 15 years old, wearing a brown overcoat, left unbuttoned. A dark gray muscle shirt covers his chest, apparently having some kind of mesh armor sown in, from the sounds of it. A pair of navy blue pants cover his legs, a pair of pistol holsters attached to either side as well.

"So...someone else is trying to claim this sphere. Too bad you won't get it," he says, smirking.

"And you are?" I ask, not taking a liking to this new person at all.

"The name's Darius DeValle," he says, the cocky smirk never leaving his face. "And I take it you're with the...Gullwings? Did _you _think up such a stupid name?"

"No...I didn't..." I say, trying to keep myself calm. "My name's Benji. And you might want to quit insulting my friends now."

"Oh...yes...the High Summoner...such a shame. I thought you'd be more impressive."

"You haven't even seen me fight, you jerk! Don't go making assumptions just yet! And you're not taking that sphere, either," I say, finally losing my temper. This guy is getting on my nerves.

"Oh, really? Then why don't you try to stop me?" he says, motioning for me to come and fight.

"With pleasure," I say, drawing my sword and pointing it at him. Running up to him quickly, I bring my sword down in an arcing diagonal slash, which is quickly sidestepped by Darius. Aiming a pistol at me, he snaps off a pair of shots, and instantly I can feel my vision clouding over. Now blinded, I quickly switch to using my other senses, when a powerful blow to the head staggers me.

"What's the matter, High Summoner? Done already?" he taunts, and I growl.

"You wish," I mutter, taking out a Remedy and using it, before aiming my sword at his chest. "Power Break!" Moving a little faster than he can evade, I manage to cut him with the attack, the chain mail preventing serious injury, before spherechanging to Gunner quickly.

"Draw," he says simply, before unleashing a hail of shots at me. The shots all connect, forcing me back towards the ledge's end, and I steel myself, rolling to the side as I'm Silenced by a shot. Drawing both my pistols, I unleash a Trigger Happy attack of my own, forcing him to move back some, before I run at him. Jumping off of a piece of rock, I leap over his head, landing on a piece of the destroyed building, before firing at him again. The shots connect, and he ducks behind a piece of rock to cover himself. As he does, I use an Echo Screen to cure the Silence, before jumping down and inside the building.

"Oh, no you don't!" Darius yells, running towards me. Unfortunately, my position from inside the building gives me a perfect angle to shower him with bullets, keeping him away. Reluctantly, Darius moves towards the ledge, giving a final shout to me. "This isn't over!" he yells, before holstering his pistols and leaping off.

"Why does everyone say that..." I mutter, looking around. To my dismay, there is no sphere anywhere in the building. Sighing, I walk out, and climb back down the ledge. "All that...for nothing. Just my luck." Signaling the Celsius, the massive ship lands in the water, and I swim out, climbing back inside and heading to the bridge.

* * *

"Well, that could've gone better," I say as I walk inside. 

"What happened? Where's the sphere?" Yuna asks.

"There was no sphere. Nothing at all. Except some kid named Darius trying to kill me, that is."

"Someone trying to kill you?" Rikku exclaims, and I sigh.

"Well, I'm exaggerating, but he did attack me. Said his name was Darius DeValle, then tried to keep me from getting the sphere. I got inside the building on the ledge there, and drove him off, only to find that the sphere wasn't there."

"So, you didn't find anything?" Paine says, sighing. "Figures."

"Indeed," I say, walking over and sitting down in one of the chairs in the bridge.

* * *

Well, well, well, what's this? Someone that Ben doesn't recognize? Things might just not be as normal as he thinks after all...as always, please review! 


	4. Chapter 4: Home Sweet Home

Well, time for another mission! So, jumping right to it, the replies!

Auron's Fan: Okay, let's just put it this way. I'm not necessarily going to be any less manly because of the company I keep, but I am going to find myself in a LOT of situations that I don't exactly like. And as for the comment...please, don't ever say that. Ever. Again. Doesn't help I made a mistake in the description, either. The pants are black, not blue.

Iron Reaver: Yeah...that was a simple formatting error on the part of the document manager. Annoying. And Darius? We'll just have to see. (smirk)

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Yeah, sure. Okay.

SS5Matt: Indeed. It'll be mixed up quite a bit later.

Bruce Bruce: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, BB! Glad to see you're reading!

Fallenone: It's fine, sometimes it doesn't. Actually, yes. There will be the odd one here and there, and my special dressphere, of course.

Sandstone: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Sandstone! It's assumed that Leblanc is talking to YRP with the 'will you quit staring' comment, as you would be looking down as she's looking up. But you know, I suppose it could work both ways. (shrug) And as for why Rikku did it? Let's just say she has a...penchant...for pranks. (grin) I could care less about appearance, but hey, if it trips out the enemy, even better.

OCAdam: I'm not sure, but you'll figure out who Darius is later. He is technically from another fanfic, but there will be explanations behind all that later. Jar Jar Binks, too. Gimme mah points! I'm not sure, I would say go with what you think there (referring to the sword part). And no, Cloud will not be meeting up with us. And as for the last question, no. I would say leave that out, because that really makes little to no sense from a logical point of view.

XxCougarxX: (shifty eyes) Maybe...

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: 'Vote for insanity; you know it makes sense!' Hm...I like that quote. And as for who it is? You'll find out later.

desert-tiger: (slaps forehead) Ranma, of course! Stupid me for forgetting him! And yes, we do have a rivalry...just how far will it go?

Jiranto Valsis: Welcome back, JV! Think nothing of the reviews stopping. Way I see it, if you were just repeating yourself, simply a waste of typing, no? Glad to hear you did read until the end. And if it's blowing your mind now, just wait until later. Things are going to get a little weird...

MoombaRave: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Moomba! Nice name, too. (grin) Anyhow, you'll figure out later who Darius is...as for now? Just gonna have to wait and see.

Alright, enough talking, on with the mission!

* * *

Chapter 4—Home Sweet Home

A few minutes later, a small buzzer going off in the bridge jerks me out of my reverie. Standing up quickly, I walk over to Buddy, Yuna and the others following quickly.

"What is it?" Yuna asks, Buddy typing something on the console in front of him, before turning to Yuna.

"The treasure sphere data you've been dying for. There's at least one on Besaid Island...and another in the Zanarkand Ruins."

"Well, we may as well get the one at Besaid first, seeing as how we're already here," I say, crossing my arms.

"Right," Yuna says, turning to walk out of the bridge. Before I do, I walk over to Shinra's computer, inserting my Garment Grid into a slot, and pull up a menu. Quickly pressing some buttons, I insert the Black Mage dressphere, recently acquired from the sphere we found on Mount Gagazet, before closing the menu and replacing the Garment Grid on my wrist. Now equipped, I turn and follow the others out of the bridge.

* * *

Several minutes later, we're standing almost right in front of Besaid Island. Stopping, Yuna looks at the place she calls home, and sighs. 

"I'm a little nervous."

"I bet, the way you took off without a word," Rikku replies, as another voice breaks the silence.

"Yeah, you said it," Wakka says, standing inside the village, a few feet away from us. Smiling, all of us walk up to meet our old friend.

"You caused quite a fuss, young lady," he says, crossing his arms. Yuna nods, looking at the former blitzball captain.

"I'm sorry."

"Well, as long as you're okay, ya?" he says, looking over at Paine. "Your friend?"

"Oh, this is Paine. We're looking for spheres together." Paine just nods, and Wakka's gaze shifts over me for a moment, before he suddenly double-takes, looking back. "Ben?"

"Yup. It's me, Wakka. How ya been?" I ask, chuckling.

"I've been doing good, brudda. You?"

"Can't complain. As you can see, I'm back with Yuna and Rikku now. Though...for better or worse, I can't quite say," I say playfully, earning a small punch on the shoulder from Rikku.

"So, you're a sphere hunter now," he says, turning back to Yuna. "I heard the rumors. To tell you the truth, I wasn't too worried. Gotta say though...you, uh, do seem pretty different." Yuna just giggles, as Rikku walks closer to Wakka, nudging him in his stomach lightly with her elbow.

"You haven't changed a bit, tubby!" she says, causing me to laugh.

"Whoa! Cut it out, ya!" Wakka says, chuckling a little. "I'm going to be a father soon. Got to have a little more presence, you know?"

"That's great, Wakka," I say, nodding.

"How much longer?" Yuna asks, Wakka now practically beaming with pride.

"Any day now!"

"Wakka, a daddy!" Rikku says, giggling a little at the thought.

"To tell the truth," Wakka says, his excitement gone for the moment, "I sure don't feel like one. I mean, how do I know how a father's supposed to act in front of his kid?"

"Why not just do what your parents did?" Rikku suggests, Wakka shaking his head at the remark.

"Hm, don't remember 'em. Sin saw to that when I was still little."

"You don't have any spheres of them?" Yuna asks, and Wakka shakes his head.

"Nope, not a single..." Wakka begins, but trails off after a moment, as if remembering something.

"What's wrong?" Yuna says, Wakka's head snapping back into reality at that.

"Oh, uh...nothing, nothing," he replies, obviously lying. "Anyway, do me a favor and go say hi to Lu. She's been worried about you. Get going!" he says, walking past us and towards the way we came from, down the paths leading towards the beach. Nodding, we walk towards Wakka's hut, stepping inside after a moment. Lulu is sitting down inside, and she smiles when we all enter.

"Welcome back," she says, the same manner of speaking still with her, even after 2 years.

"Hi, Lulu," Yuna replies softly.

"So, tell us about the baby!" Rikku says, eager to hear more. "It's gonna be born soon, right?"

"Hm, not yet. Wakka's getting a little ahead of himself."

"Aw, bummer," Rikku says, face drooping a little.

"So, after all this time, you two _did _get together. Can't say I didn't see it coming," I say, smirking slightly.

"So, you came back. I thought you had left for good after Yuna's pilgrimage was over," Lulu says. I simply shake my head.

"Nah, couldn't stay gone for too long. Rikku would've killed me otherwise," I say, chuckling a little. Smiling, Lulu nods.

"I see. So, care to go for a little walk?" she asks.

"Can you?" Yuna replies, slightly worried about her friend's choice.

"I could use the exercise. Come on," she replies, slowly standing up and leading us out of the hut.

A few minutes later, we're standing at the place we prayed on Besaid 2 years ago, before Yuna began her pilgrimage. Lulu turns around and looks at Yuna.

"So, what's so important that you'd run off without telling us?"

"This," Yuna says, pulling a sphere out and holding it in front of her. Lulu nods.

"The sphere. Wakka told me about it." Yuna nods, and turns the sphere on, the picture appearing after a moment. It appears to be a jail cell somewhere, maybe under Bevelle. A young boy is sitting inside, and at first glance, it appears to be Tidus. There are some slight differences, though, mainly the eyes. They don't seem to possess the same happiness and attitude as Tidus' eyes, but rather a sense of anger and regret.

"Kimahri said he found it on Mount Gagazet," Rikku chimes in.

"It does look like him. Though something seems a little off," Lulu replies, as the sphere shuts off. "Have you found anything?"

"Nothing," Yuna replies. "But there's still a lot of places we haven't looked yet."

"Must be fun, being free to go where you please," Lulu says, Yuna nodding in agreement.

"It is fun, I never expected a journey quite like this."

"I'm not there, so you can spread your wings," Lulu says, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Maybe."

"You have spread your wings," Lulu says, smiling. "Well, good luck. But Yuna, never forget who you are." Yuna looks a little confused, so Lulu continues. "You're the High Summoner that defeated Sin. There are those who would use that, Yuna."

"I'll be all right. I won't let myself be used by anyone. Not any more."

"That goes for you too, Ben," she tells me, and I nod.

"No one's using me. You can rest assured of that." Suddenly, Lulu twitches a little, as if in pain.

"Hm?" Yuna asks, a little unsure of what happened.

"It kicked," Lulu replies, causing smiles all around.

"Really?" Yuna asks, and Lulu nods.

"I wanna feel!" Rikku says happily, and I just shake my head at my girlfriend's antics. Lulu just smiles, turning to Yuna.

"Since you've come all this way, why not stay the night?" she asks, and Yuna looks at her, nodding.

"Sounds good to me," she says, and I look up, noticing the sun setting. I hadn't even noticed, to tell the truth.

'_Way to be alert, Benji...' _I think to myself, as a growl catches our attention. A pair of Coyotes walk towards us suddenly, snarling, and I turn to the 4 girls.

"It's okay, I can handle it. Gives me a chance to try something out anyway," I say, before turning back to the Coyotes. Placing my hands in a diamond shape in front of me, I spread my arms out as white light covers me again. When it clears, I'm now dressed in a long, flowing robe, a deep blue in color. The sleeves cover my hands almost completely, and in my right hand is Yuna's old staff, given to me on the pilgrimage two years ago. A tall, blue mage's hat adorns my head as well, and I point the staff of my Black Mage dressphere at the first Coyote.

"Blizzard!" An ice crystal flies from my staff to the Coyote, striking it in the chest and spearing it before it can react. As the first bursts into pyreflies, the second runs at me, only to get stricken in the head with the bottom part of my staff.

"Fire!" A fireball blazes from my staff now and burns away at the Coyote, sending it to the ground in a heap as well. As it dissipates into pyreflies, I spherechange back to Gunner.

"Now that that's taken care of, should we get back to the village?" I ask, and everyone nods, beginning to lead the way back as night falls over the quiet village.

* * *

The next morning, I yawn, standing up from the pallet I placed on the floor. Standing up, I notice everyone else is already awake, and must be outside. Grabbing my pistols from a table in the room, I quickly re-holster them, before walking out. 

"Good morning," Lulu says as I exit the hut, the woman standing around outside with Yuna, Rikku, and Paine.

"Morning," I say, looking around. "Where's Wakka?"

"He left at daybreak. He said something about a cave," Lulu replies, and I nod.

"A cave? Wonder what he's up to?" Rikku asks, confused.

"Want us to go find out?" Yuna asks Lulu.

"Yeah, there might be fiends," Rikku adds, and Lulu nods.

"Thanks. Though, I doubt he'd have trouble handling a few fiends. Still, I'm a little worried. It's not like Wakka to hide things."

"That's funny. I don't remember there being any cave," Yuna asks, and I speak up.

"I know where it is. I saw it when I went to find the sphere that was supposedly on the beach," I say. "If we hurry, we should be able to catch him." Turning, I quickly run towards the beach before anyone can say anything else. As we head to the beach, Brother's voice suddenly comes over the comlinks.

"Any trouble?"

"We're fine," Yuna replies. "How about you guys?"

"My heart...is aching..." Brother replies, and I slap my face in exasperation.

"Huh?" Yuna asks, confused.

"Ahh...nothing," Brother says quickly, the comlink going dead again. Shaking my head, I reach to my ear and take the comlink out, turning it off quickly.

"What was that for?" Rikku asks.

"He annoys me," I state, beginning to jog towards the beach once again. A minute or two later, Yuna stops, and I stop too, guessing that she has another transmission.

"Yuna here," she says, and after a moment, she wrinkles her face in confusion. "Huh. That was weird." Shrugging, she begins to walk again, and we round the bend leading around the cliffs, coming face to face with a door, set in the side of the stone cliff face. Walking up to it, I nod.

"This is the place. Now, we just have to get inside," I say, walking up and examining a keypad on the right side. Rikku follows me, and pulls something from a small pack on her side, attaching a cable to the door. Quickly pressing some buttons on a small keypad attached to the device, numbers appear one by one on the display beside the door, and as the fourth appears, the door slides up and open.

"Decoding device?" I ask her, and she nods.

"Handy little thing, huh?" she replies, and I chuckle.

"Indeed it is. Let's go find Wakka." Walking inside the now-revealed cave, it only takes us a moment to find Wakka, sitting down on the floor of the cave.

"Something wrong?" he asks us, Yuna looking down at him.

"We came to check on you," she says, Rikku nodding quickly.

"Is there something in this cave?" Rikku asks, causing Wakka to stand up and shrug his shoulders.

"Uh, yeah...something like that. Who knows, maybe it's not here, ya? But I thought, 'What if...' Maybe it's for real. Then again, maybe it never was. Been so long, I'm not sure any more."

"So, you're saying there's something that might be here, and you want to know for sure, right?" Paine asks, crossing her arms.

"Right. But you see...I wanna know, and then I sorta don't wanna know," Wakka says, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, what is it, then?" I ask, awaiting his answer.

"Well, uh...I heard there was this old sphere," he replies, Rikku cutting him off in mid sentence.

"A sphere? Of what?"

"A sphere of...you know," he replies, apparently not wanting to tell us. "What does it matter?" Paine just shakes her head, beginning to walk further inside the cave. "Hey, whoa!" Wakka exclaims, moving to stop Paine, before she turns.

"We're sphere hunters, remember?" she says flatly.

"Yeah, Paine's right. We'll handle this, Wakka. Just sit tight," I say, beginning to move after Paine.

"All right, Gullwings..." Yuna starts, Rikku raising an arm into the air.

"Time for business!" she finishes, before the duo moves to follow us.

* * *

As we walk deeper into the cave, it's revealed that the cave isn't very long, maybe a few hundred feet in total length. A few turns lead around parts of the rocks, but other than that, no big hassle to traverse. As we round a corner, however, I hear something behind us. Turning, I come face to face with another person I don't recognize. It's a man wearing a pair of black pants and a black shirt, the pants held up by a silver belt, with a long red cloak covering his shoulders and back. A pair of black boots with silver plates on the top of the feet, as well as a golden, clawed gauntlet covering from the tips of his fingers to his elbow, is also worn. A red headband is wrapped around his forehead as well, making his long, black hair spill out over it. He gives us a quick once-over, before smiling slightly. 

"You must be the Gullwings. Can't say I'm surprised to see you here. There is a sphere here, after all," the man says, leaning against the cavern wall. Eyes narrowing slightly, I stare back at the man, before finally speaking up.

"You're right, we are the Gullwings. Just who are you?" I ask cautiously, and the man bows, smiling back at us.

"Where are my manners. I am Drante Vego, a fellow sphere hunter. Pleasure to meet you..." he trails off, and I shake my head, realizing I hadn't given my name.

"Benji Powell. And this is Yuna, Rikku, and Paine," I say, pointing to each of them in turn. Drante blinks for a moment, before speaking again.

"Both High Summoners...sphere hunters. Quite the surprise there...no matter. If you'll excuse me, I'll simply take what I need, and be on my way."

"You mean the sphere," I say, more of a statement than a question. Drante simply nods, and I spherechange to Warrior, pulling out my longsword. "Sorry, can't let you do that. Sphere's coming with us."

"I see. Such a shame, then. I'll simply have to take it by force," Drante responds, and Yuna, Rikku, and Paine draw their weapons, preparing for a confrontation.

"No, you guys go get the sphere. I can take care of our friend here," I tell them.

"Are you sure?" Yuna asks, and I nod.

"I'll be fine. Get the sphere." With a quick nod from the trio, they run farther into the cave, leaving Drante and I alone. Drante simply shakes his head, looking me over as I drop into a battle stance.

"Are you sure you can handle me, like your friend said?" he asks, and I nod.

"You know what I've been through. I'm High Summoner for a reason."

"Very well, then. I won't hold back." Drante lifts his arm, and a small ball rolls down his sleeve, falling into his now-open hand. Suddenly, the ball shifts, and turns into a longsword, a shining silver in color, though a little shorter than my own. Drante stands still for a moment longer, then charges, moving so fast he simply seems to be in front of me before I can react, snapping his sword downwards. Dodging to the side, I quickly bring my blade up to block, before swinging the blade out from under his, slashing out towards his chest. Drante jumps back quickly, spinning and delivering a low slash, towards my knees.

Jumping over the slash, I land in a crouch, and sweep my foot towards his legs, the man jumping over my leg and kicking my ankle, seeming to toy with me. Bringing his sword down quickly, the blade moves across my side, cutting into me and drawing some blood. Not enough to really cause severe injury, but enough to be annoying. Standing straight again, I change my stance into a defensive one, as Drante attacks again.

Running at me quickly, he stabs outward with his sword, using it like a rapier. I parry the strike quickly, bringing my sword back down to the right before he can react, cutting across his right side slightly.

"There, we're even," I say, chuckling.

"Indeed. That will change soon," he responds, his sword moving again into a lunging slash, the blade passing from left to right, causing me to twist out of the way, spinning around completely to bring my sword back to bear. Drante attempts one more slash at me, a vertical slash that I sidestep, before he steps back, the sword morphing back into an orb and moving back into his sleeve on its own.

"What are you doing?" I ask, clearly confused as to why he has stopped attacking.

"You've proven your worth. I'll give this round to you," he says, before simply turning and walking away. As he walks away, I reach into my pocket and grab a Potion, drinking the magical elixir quickly and feeling the cut seal itself over. Quickly, I sheathe my sword and run farther into the cave, hoping to catch up with Yuna and the others.

As I turn the corner, I'm greeted by a wave of pyreflies floating up into the sky, and a triumphant looking group of girls, putting their weapons away.

"Ran into some trouble, huh?" I ask, and Yuna nods.

"A fire dragon...took some effort to beat, but we did fine." Paine nods, before walking over and grabbing the sphere off of a small pedestal in front of us.

"One more for the Gullwings!" Yuna exclaims, and I nod, as Paine hands her the sphere, beginning to walk back down the length of the cave.

"Find anything?" Wakka says, standing up from his sitting position on the floor as we approach. Yuna nods, holding out the sphere we found.

"We sure did!" Rikku says.

"Let's take a look," Yuna adds, turning the sphere on. As the picture fades into existence, it appears to be a view of Besaid Island, the sphere moving slowly to take in the surroundings, before fading out and in on another place on the island. The sphere does this a few times, before fading out again and shutting itself off.

"This it?" Rikku asks, Wakka shaking his head after a moment.

"Nah, 'fraid not." Turning, Wakka walks outside, and we follow, standing outside the mouth of the cave.

"So, what sphere were you looking for?" Rikku asks Wakka, who turns to face the girl.

"Well...it's a sphere of our parents. Chappu said he found it."

"Chappu?" Rikku asks, before remembering who Wakka is referring to. "Oh, your brother!"

"He was a Crusader. Now he's gone on to the Farplane. Sin got our parents not long after Chappu was born. We were too young to remember their faces, you know? When we were kids, we got into a fight one time and Chappu said, "I found a sphere with mom and dad in it, but I'm not telling you where it is."

"And you never asked him?" Yuna replies. Wakka shakes his head.

"I was too boneheaded to let my little brother win. So, I went on without asking until I just forgot about it. Then yesterday, talking with you made me think about it again. Chappu used to play in this cave, so I thought maybe he found the sphere here, ya? But when I came to look, I got to thinking..."

"About what?" I ask, Wakka looking over all of us as he continues to explain.

"See, I got this picture of my parents in my head, ya? Strong, and kind...whenever things got tough, those are the parents I imagined. But their real faces might be totally different, ya? I think about that and I'm not so sure I really wanna know. I was sittin' there trying to figure out what to do. And then you guys showed up."

"That's our Wakka," Rikku says, smiling.

"The sphere might still be somewhere on the island. Should we look for it?" Yuna asks, but Wakka shakes his head.

"Nah, that's alright," he says, walking away a little before turning back to us. "I'm through worrying about that stuff. What's past is past, ya? Can't let it get to me. I'm going to be a father soon. Gotta pull it together!"

"That's right, Dad!" Rikku teases, making me chuckle as well. Wakka raises his right arm up, but then puts it back down.

"But, uh...just how am I supposed to pull it together? Sure wish I had something to go by, you know?" he says, and suddenly, Yuna stops, listening intently to her comlink, it seems.

"Yeah, we'll be back soon," she says after a moment, and I click my comlink back on. I forgot to turn it back on earlier, but can't say I regret not turning it back on.

"Alright, let's get back to the beach. They should be waiting for us there," I say, beginning to walk back towards the beach, which is only a short distance away from the cave. Everyone nods, waving good-bye to Wakka as he walks back towards the village. As we re-board the Celsius, still floating in the water, I can't help but think about the two people I've seen.

'_Things seem a little out of place here...wonder if I can really expect anything now?' _I think to myself, as I head back to my room.

* * *

So, who's Drante, and what is his story, anyhow? You'll just have to keep reading to find out! As always, please review, and see ya!


	5. Chapter 5: Memories Of Ages Past

Hm...14 reviews this chapter...impressive. I'm stunned. But anyhow...on to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: ...Shadow. I shall maim you.

Auron's Fan: Yes, best that you don't, lest your brain implode on itself. Anyhow.

XxCougarxX: Good eye...yes, that was intentional.

Iron Reaver: Because Darius is arrogant, whereas Drante is just...cool. So he can do that sort of thing. Oh, almost forgot. utterly annhilates you Let's have no more ill mannered speculations, hm?

OCAdam: ...For the most part, I'm thinking I forgot to welcome you because of forgetting that question a chapter or 2 back. But, anyhow, a belated welcome to you, Adam! Lol.No, I don't think I caught the e-mail thing this time, either. And finally, I don't live near Houston. I live in South Carolina.

Arachnid: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Arachnid! This one will stay, for the most part, on track, but there will be quite a few things that don't quite go as planned...

MoombaRave: Nah, I'll let you stew in the wonderful juices of speculation for a bit. Hehe...

Vergil: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Vergil! Sorry, Hao (I think...) won't be in the story, strictly the X-2 characters, and a few others.

SS5Matt: You have no idea. (grin)

desert-tiger: Nah. I don't feel stupid. As for the two you're referring to...I'll say nothing.

rikku yuna allover: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, RYA! I'm glad you like my style, I pride myself more on my style of writing than anything else, as I have been striving to write with increasing clarity, style, and description.

asuka-kazama-mishima: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, AKM! Glad to see another reader. And yes, my name is Benji, but most of those who know me outside of family simply call me Ben for short. And thanks for the gesture of good luck. You too.

Fallenone: Indeed. Hm...you're right on the opponent thing. Paine and I would be a pretty interesting fight, as you have a few valid points there. As for how many respect points I have...I have no clue. (shrug)

Fallen Angel-2009: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Fallen Angel! It will probably be at least as long as Destiny's Call, around 40-45 chapters, if not in the low 50s. I'm not sure as of yet. Hope you continue reading.

And now, on to the Zanarkand Ruins!

* * *

Chapter 5—Memories Of Ages Past

"So, where to now?" Buddy asks us, as we step back onto the bridge.

"Zanarkand Ruins. You said the other treasure sphere was there, right?" Yuna asks, stepping over to the pilot.

"Right. We'll be there soon," Buddy replies, the Celsius lifting off and beginning to fly towards the ruins. Looking around for a moment, I turn and walk out of the bridge, headed back to my room. As I enter the room, I take a moment to pull my guns out of the holsters, setting them on a table near me before I flop backwards on the bed.

"So...who are these two new guys..." I mutter, thinking out loud. "We've got one guy who fights like he's out to kill you every time, and then another that fights like it's all a game...strange. And they both hunt spheres...probably be seeing them again. But what's their angle? Motive? They don't seem to be after anything in particular _except _for spheres..." Standing up, I walk around the room for a moment, pacing, before sitting back down.

"Ah, I don't know...maybe I'll find out. Maybe they'll tell if I ask them..." I mutter, immediately shaking my head. "Yeah. Sure. And maybe monkeys will fall from the sky if I stare at it hard enough." Sighing, I lie back on the bed, placing my hands under my head, and stretch. Today has been far more confusing than I care to admit.

A few minutes later, the intercom comes on, Buddy's voice telling everyone that we're about to arrive at the ruins. Standing up, I re-holster my pistols and walk out of the room, seeing Yuna walking out of her room as well.

"Been a while since we've been here, hasn't it?" I ask, and she nods.

"Yeah...it has."

"Only difference is, we're not going to the ruins to tear down the foundations of a completely false religion, beat some crazy unsent summoner from a thousand years past, and destroy something the size of a small island," I say, chuckling a little. Yuna laughs at my strange sense of humor. "Yeah. Sounds perfectly normal now...right..." I mutter, shaking my head as we walk into the bridge, to see Rikku and Paine.

"Let's go. We've got a sphere to find!" Yuna says, and Rikku and Paine nod, beginning to follow Yuna and Iout of the Celsius.

* * *

Stepping out onto the ground of the Zanarkand Ruins, the first thing we see...is people. The area has people walking around, smiling, and heading deeper into the ruins. On top of a hill, a lone figure stands, and Yuna starts towards him, seemingly knowing who it is. The man turns around at the sound of footsteps approaching him, and smiles. 

"Yuna?" he asks, to which the former summoner nods. "You've changed so much, I hardly recognize you. Remember me?"

"Of course I remember!" she says, clasping her hands behind her back and smiling. "It's good to see you again, Isaaru."

"I'm honored that you remember me," Isaaru replies.

"Why are you here?" Yuna asks, as Isaaru steps down and looks out over Zanarkand.

"Ah, yes. I've been helping Cid with his work." At the mention of Cid, all eyes turn to Rikku, who simply shrugs.

"Don't look at me."

"I guide people through Zanarkand, once the most sacred of places," Isaaru continues. "People come from all over Spira. Sphere hunters, too."

"Oh," Yuna says simply.

"Ugh!" Rikku exclaims, throwing her hands up. "What the heck is Pop thinking?"

"I can see this is upsetting you," Isaaru says, turning to Rikku. "But this is a place of great historical importance to all of Spira."

"I know. But, still...I never wanted anyone else to stand there," Yuna says, staring at the hill. Isaaru follows her gaze, but looks confused.

"Yuna?"

"Nothing. Forget it."

"If you say so..." Isaaru starts, then stops. "Ah, I must be getting to work now. Please, take care, Yuna," he says, before walking off towards the dome.

"Well?" I ask, turning to the others. "What now?"

"We go find the sphere," Paine states, beginning to walk towards the dome. Nodding quickly, I begin to follow the black-clad girl along the path leading to the ruined blitzball stadium.

As we come upon the entrance to the ruined stadium, the first thing we see is a trio of young kids, probably no more than 9 or 10 years old each, talking amongst themselves. As we step closer, we can hear bits of the conversation.

"Taro, Hana, you ready?" one of the kids says, apparently the leader of the group.

"Um...what was the clue again?" another says, looking at the leading boy.

"Come on! It's 'key'!" a young girl says, looking at the boy who asked.

"All right, let's head out!" the leader says, the other two nodding.

"Yes, sir!" they say, before all three of the kids run inside the destroyed dome.

"What was that all about?" Rikku asks, and I turn to face her.

"They said clue. My guess is a treasure hunt. Let's go find out for ourselves," I answer, running inside the dome.

* * *

As we enter the dome, I'm not surprised to see it much the same as it was the last time I was here. Except this time, it's more of a cheerful trip. 

'_And another thing that hasn't changed is the fiend population, I see...' _I think, as a duo of White Elementals float towards us, accompanied by a strange looking snake, with a gatling gun barrel for a head. _'A Recoil, I think...all those things look alike.' _

"Fire, everyone!" Yuna yells, shifting into the Black Mage dressphere, Rikku and Paine staying in Thief and Warrior, respectively. Quickly, I shift into the Black Mage dressphere as well, and Yuna and I point our staves at the first Elemental.

"Fire!" we cry, and a duo of Fire spells slam into the Elemental, causing it to float backwards for a moment before stopping. The second looks at Yuna, before casting a Blizzard spell on her, sending her a step back. The Recoil looks at Rikku and Paine, and fires, bullets hitting them and doing some damage. Rikku looks mad now, and runs up to the Recoil, driving both daggers into the thing's 'face', causing it to jerk back in pain. Paine runs in now, and cuts upwards, a large gash appearing in the creature's body. It fires again, Paine stepping back, as the Elemental that Yuna and I hit faces me. Firing off a Blizzard spell, it connects with me and causes me to flinch in pain, before I retaliate.

Another Fire spell blows this Elemental apart into pyreflies, and Yuna casts a Fire spell on the remaining one. As it recoils back from the blow, Rikku slashes at the Recoil again, causing it to writhe in pain before bursting into pyreflies. The Elemental prepares a spell, but is a little too slow to react. A duo of Fire spells blows this Elemental apart as well, and we all take a moment to catch our breath. Quickly shifting back into Gunner, I sigh, leaning against a piece of wall.

"And to think, those 3 kids went in here alone," Paine says, shaking her head.

"I think they'll be fine. If this place really has turned into some sort of tourist attraction, they won't let anyone get hurt," I reply, beginning to walk down the path again. A minute later, we come upon the same three kids, stopped along the path. They seem to be talking to each other again, but they stop and look up once they see us approach.

"Lady Yuna!" the leading kid says, looking up at Yuna. "Do you remember me?"

"Sure I do!" she says, smiling back at him. "You're Pacce." Mentally slapping myself for not remembering the kid, I smile as the kid jumps into the air happily.

"You remembered me!" he says, before pointing to his two friends. "This is Hana, and this is Taro," he says, pointing to the girl, and then the boy.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Yuna," Taro says.

"What are you doing here?" Yuna asks, seemingly concerned for the kids. "There are fiends around!"

"Fiends? Ha!" Hana says, standing up straight.

"Uh-huh! That's right! We're sphere hunters!" Pacce says, grinning from ear to ear.

"The Kinderguardians!" Pacce and Hana say, posing quickly. Taro seems to be a little behind them, but poses anyway.

"The Kinderguardians!" I can see Paine shaking her head, somewhere in between amused and exasperated. I just chuckle softly, continuing to watch silently.

"You here on some kind of treasure hunt?" Rikku asks, turning to the trio. Pacce nods, and Yuna looks up, seemingly in thought.

"So 'key' must be a clue to finding the treasure," she says, looking back at them.

"Uh-huh. That's right!" Pacce agrees, before Hana shushes him.

"Shh! We paid fifteen whole Gil for that! Come on, let's go!" she tells Pacce, as she and Taro run ahead.

"See ya, Lady Yuna!" Pacce says, running after his friends.

"Fifteen Gil for a clue?" Paine asks, and I shrug.

"Don't look at me," I reply, Yuna beginning to lead us all along the path again. The path curves upwards now, and as we turn a rising curve, we come across one of Leblanc's goons, apparently talking on a comlink. Thinking quickly, I suddenly get a grin on my face. Motioning to the others to be quiet, I start sneaking up behind the goon.

"Come in. Come in. Do you read me?" he says, apparently not getting an answer for a moment. "Oh, hey. I wanted to double-check that clue. It's 'mon', right? Nah, it's just that I heard some kids saying it was 'key.' Yeah, I figured it was 'mon.' Over and out." By the time he finishes speaking, I've stepped right behind him. Smiling evilly the entire time, I tap him on the shoulder. As he turns around, I bring my arm back to punch.

"Stealth attack!" I yell, punching the goon right in the face...and unfortunately for him, he goes stumbling back, right over the edge of the walkway. A sharp yell is heard, and then a thud, as the goon hits the floor below. Walking over and peering over the side, I chuckle, seeing him flat on his back on the level below. Turning back to the others, I see everyone staring at me like I'm insane. Rikku is the first to say something.

"You...yelled...the words 'stealth attack'..." she stammers, and I chuckle.

"Yeah. I know, it's a paradox. But it's funny." As if I had done nothing out of the ordinary, I walk towards the entrance to the Cloister of Trials, a stupefied Rikku following along with Yuna and Paine, who are shaking their heads at my antics.

* * *

"This place hasn't changed any," I say as we walk into what used to be the Cloister of Trials. The puzzles that used to be here are no more, apparently ceasing to function when the fayth quit dreaming. So, we simply walk through. Stepping out into the Chamber of the Fayth, and then to the platform where we fought Yunalesca 2 years ago, we're suddenly confronted by a voice, cutting through the silence of the open air. 

"Muahahahaha!"

"Who's there?" Rikku asks, all of us immediately on edge from the laughter.

"You have done well to make it this far, sphere hunters. But you will not have the treasure you seek so easily," the voice says, and Paine stiffens, looking around.

"So we fight," she says, reaching for her sword. Yuna stops her, though, apparently because we haven't seen anyone or anything yet.

"If you want the treasure, you must speak the password!" the voice says, and Paine's expression goes to one of confusion.

"Password?"

"The clues?" Yuna asks, Rikku being the first to piece the puzzle together.

"Oh, I know! The password is monkey!" The voice seems a little flustered now, since Rikku spoke the password.

"Uh...yes, good. Uh, okay! So now, tell me, what is the meaning of life?"

"What?" Yuna asks, completely caught off guard by the question. Suddenly, something seems to click in her mind, and she looks around. "Is that you, Isaaru? Isaaru?"

"Hey. That does sort of sound like Isaaru," Rikku adds, looking around.

"...Is that your final answer?" the voice asks again, and Rikku clenches her fists, closing her eyes and looking down.

"The jig is up! Show yourself, Isaaru!"

"Uh...fine," he says, and suddenly, Isaaru walks up behind us, causing us all to turn and face him.

"Um, what are you doing?" Yuna asks after a moment.

"My job," he replies. "I bring excitement to those who've come to see this sacred place. I, too, once traveled with the hope of seeing this place someday. Working here somehow fulfills that wish."

"Believe me, Isaaru, if you had gone through what we did, you wouldn't have wanted to see this place 2 years ago," I say, chuckling a little at the memory of Lady Yunalesca.

"I see. I must apologize for the quiz. Here's something for your trouble," he says, handing Yuna a Garment Grid. Yuna smiles, nodding, as Isaaru gives a short wave.

"'Kay! Thanks for coming! And remember, the ruins of Zanarkand will be waiting!" he says dramatically, before walking back to wherever he came from.

"Ex-summoners come in all flavors," Paine says, lookinga little uninterested. Yuna just giggles.

"Apparently so."

"We done here?" Rikku says, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Relax. We've still got a sphere to find, right?" I say, to which Yuna nods.

"Let's go, then!" she says, before walking down the stairs at the back of the platform. As we descend the stairs, they take us to a small set of catacombs under the ruins, it seems. Suddenly, a roar breaks the silence, and we dash around a corner to come face to face with a monster, the Guardian Beast. But that's not all. My eyes nearly pop out of my head at the sight of the second thing there.

'_Lenne...? But...there's no way...' _I think to myself, before taking another look at the individual. _'Wait...that's not Lenne. She's older than this girl...'_

The girl in question is a young girl, around 14 or so it seems, and garbed in the Songstress dressphere. She, for the most part, looks exactly like Yuna would in the Songstress sphere, with the exception of a pair of long, dangling, multicolored earrings, and longer brown hair, reaching down past her shoulders slightly. She's also desperately trying to fight off the Guardian Beast, the telltale blind effect of the Darkness Dance ability lingering over the creature's eyes.

"Think we need a password?" Rikku asks, nervously.

"How about 'kick...its...ass.'" Paine replies, face impassive as stone.

_(Play FFX-2 theme YuRiPa Battle 2)_

"Let's help her!" Yuna exclaims, running into the fray and immediately using Trigger Happy on the beast, causing a few grunts of pain as the bullets impact. Growling, I spherechange to Warrior quickly, and pull my sword out, the blue metal glinting in the dim light of the catacombs. Paine does the same, charging the beast with a roar.

"Flametongue!" she yells, her blade bursting into a magical fire as she slashes upwards, cutting a gash into the creature's flank.

"Ice Brand!" I cry, my sword being engulfed in magical frost as I slash down, cutting across the creature's chest. The Guardian Beast roars in pain, before slashing at all of us, throwing Paine and I away, Yuna, Rikku, and the girl dodging quickly.

"Take this!" Yuna yells, as her pistol glows for a moment, a bullet slamming into the creature and seeming to deal more damage than normal. Rikku also runs up and slashes quickly across the open cuts left by Paine and I, before retreating. The girl has quit dancing now, the blinding effect wearing off, and she kneels for a moment, before starting to dance again, the darkness afflicting the beast once again. Sheathing my sword, I step back, spherechanging into Black Mage, before pointing the staff at the Guardian Beast.

"Blizzard!" The magical ice attack hits the Beast, but doesn't seem to injure it much. It roars and slashes outwards, but misses as I duck out of the way. Yuna snaps off another pair of shots at the creature, and Paine runs back in, using another Flametongue attack on it. It growls and swats at Paine, which barely connects, not enough to do any real damage. Rikku slashes across the creature's neck, Yuna aiming up there as well with a Trigger Happy attack, as I point my staff upwards.

"Thunder!" The lightning bolt strikes the Guardian Beast in the top of the head, and it growls, before charging at me. The thing slams into me, throwing me back to the ground, and I shake the dizziness from my head, seeing Paine slash at the creature once again.

"Power Break!" The magical attack connects, the creature's strength level decreasing slightly, and Yuna aims carefully at its head, before firing another Trigger Happy attack, the bullets bashing into the Guardian Beast's skull and finally killing the fiend. As it slumps to the ground and dissolves into pyreflies, the mysterious girl drops to her knees, tired from the dancing, apparently.

_(End FFX-2 theme YuRiPa Battle 2)_

Walking over to the girl, I offer my hand, and she takes it, standing up. Her face remains neutral, as she studies us all. It's right at this moment that Yuna notices a sphere on a small piece of rock, behind where the Guardian Beast was standing. She runs towards it, but the girl suddenly jerks away from me, charging towards the sphere and grabbing it before Yuna can. Holding it to her closely, she steps away from us, and I decide to ask a few questions.

"Who are you?" I ask, the girl looking at me as if I'd just said I was a chocobo.

"Lenna...why?" the girl asks, obviously on guard of us.

"Just curious...are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answers, and I decide to take a chance.

"We need that sphere. Can we have it?"

"No." The answer comes simply, quickly, and coldly. To be honest, I hadn't really expected such a cold response, but I don't really have a clue who I'm dealing with.

"Alright...can I buy it from you, then?" I ask, resorting to other methods of bargaining. I don't want to simply hurt the girl and take the sphere, that wouldn't be honorable at all.

"What are you doing?" Rikku hisses to me, stepping over to me. Turning to her, I keep my voice low.

"Trust me..." I say, turning back to Lenna.

"How much?" she asks, the same neutral expression still across her features.

"Five thousand Gil sound okay?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"Seventy five hundred," she counters, and I think for a moment, before nodding.

"Alright. Deal." Walking over to her, I pull out my wallet, reaching inside and taking out 7500 Gil, handing it to her as she hands the sphere over. Without another word, she runs out, leaving a very confused Yuna, Rikku, Paine, and myself standing there.

"Who in the world was that?" Rikku asks me, to which I shrug.

"No idea."

"She said her name was Lenna..." Yuna says, apparently thinking out loud.

"Search me. I don't know anyone named Lenna," I reply, just as confused as everyone else. Looking at the sphere a moment, I toss it over to Yuna, who catches it. Rikku and Paine walk over to see it, and get a somewhat discouraged look upon seeing that it's only half of a sphere.

"What? It's only half a sphere?" Rikku asks, obviously annoyed.

"All that...for nothing," Paine says, shaking her head.

"Well, it can't hurt to take it with us," Rikku says, shrugging. Yuna simply pockets the sphere, looking around with a sigh.

"I can't believe how much this place has changed," Yuna remarks as we walk back towards the entrance.

"I can. A lot can change in two years. Places, people, any and everything," I tell her, following her back to the Celsius, and on to the next mission.

* * *

Yeah, I'm crazy. But anyway. The name Lenna is pronounced 'Lay-na', for reference. What's her story? You'll have to wait to find out...until then, please review! 


	6. Chapter 6: Secrets

Hm...chapter 6, at long last. Without delay, the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: If you say so.

Iron Reaver: (cough) No. I will think out loud. A lot. And yes, you have a penchant for causing trouble. ...And how could you not spell Pacce right!

asuka-kazama-mishima: Actually...no...I'll give you that. She has absolutely no relation to Lenne other than looks. You'll find out later. And are you referring to Carrie Tremont? If you are, not yet...but Iron Reaver will be doing an FF9 story that she will be in.

Auron's Fan: Yep. I'm a paradox. It's just me, I promise. And Lenna...you'll find out later.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Drante was fun to write. He's so calm. And Lenna...about the same. Calm characters are fun to write.

XxCougarxX: One of the best lines...but not quite THE best line in the game, in my opinion. One line beats it, which'll be next chapter. And as Lenna isn't my own character, but rather borrowed from a friend for this story, name spelling wasn't my decision.

desert-tiger: Oh, that's the end of the OCs. Except for maybe a cameo or two for plot development.

MoombaRave: Yup, you're right. I won't. And 7500 Gil is a lot for a half-sphere, but we needed that.

Arachnid: Hm. After this chapter, you will probably be able to figure it out. If you can't, I'll tell ya next chapter.

Now, finally, on to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 6—Secrets

"Kilika...works for me," I say, shrugging. Yuna just nods, turning around and walking back towards the bridge. The whole discussion before my statement was really about what we should do now. Yuna wanted to explore the whole of Spira, one place at a time. Everyone else was for it, so I guess I may as well go along with it too. Kilika is to be the first place we visit.

"Ben." The voice is almost as cold as ice, which lets me know immediately who it is.

"Paine. What's up?"

"I want a word with you," she replies, and at this I quirk an eyebrow. Paine isn't much for talking, so it must be something somewhat important.

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"I've been thinking, and I've decided that I want to spar with you. To test how well I measure up to someone as experienced as you." That statement caught me off guard. And I mean _really _off guard.

"Okay, why me? Why not Yuna? She's more experienced than I am," I reply, no small measure of shock coming across my face.

"Yuna isn't a warrior," Paine replies. "She has the experience, but she lacks focus and discipline." I find myself agreeing with Paine, though still hard-pressed to admit it.

"...Alright. Fine. You want to spar, fine with me. When and where?"

"Right now. There's a cargo hold here that has nothing in it, for the most part. It's a large, open area. Perfect, wouldn't you agree?" Her voice seems to now be filled with a slight degree of anticipation. I recognize it immediately, because I've felt the same way. The anticipation of having a worthy fight, to test your mettle against that of a potentially superior opponent, and come out on top.

"Let's go, then," I say, spherechanging into Warrior and following Paine down to the cargo hold.

* * *

As we enter the hold, I notice the surroundings are much like a small warehouse of sorts. Small crates line parts of the walls, and various doors lead to other, smaller rooms within the main area. 

"Are you ready?" I ask, drawing my sword and dropping into a balanced offensive and defensive stance. Paine just nods, drawing her sword and taking an offensive stance. Neither of us move for a moment, before Paine charges, a rising slash flying up towards me at the last second. I'm already moving out of the way, and I bring my sword up from the ground as well, Paine twisting out of the way of my mirrored attack.

Paine spins then, her sword coming around in a cleaving arc, which I duck, only to be met with a boot to the face as Paine's straight kick sends me flying back. Standing up again, I wipe some blood from my mouth, and drop into an offensive stance once more.

"Oh, you wanna use fists and feet too..." I mutter, charging her with my sword held parallel to the ground, and out from my side. As I charge, I jump into the air, a spinning kick meeting nothing but the blunt side of Paine's blade, knocking it out of the way. My blade comes around to be ducked by Paine at the last moment, before she thrusts a palm into my chest, making me step back. Grinning, I sheathe my sword and take up a martial arts stance, Paine looking at me like I'm insane.

"Come on," I say, motioning to her to advance. Paine charges then, a quick slash evaded by me, before I smash a fist into her stomach, causing her to wince, but not move. A second punch hits her shoulder, before I have to duck the slashing blade again. A quick reversal by Paine cuts a long gash across my leg, though, and I move backwards, wincing in pain.

"You're good," she tells me, and I chuckle.

"You seem to be better," I reply, smiling. Paine just smirks, charging me once again. This time, I'm ready. Stepping back from the horizontal slash, I move around her, before snapping my foot into the back of her knee, knocking her down to a kneeling position, then slashing my foot across the middle of her back. Paine falls to the ground, and I step back as she gets up.

"A nice tactic," she says, and I nod, accepting the compliment.

"Yeah, you're good. You know how to use my agility against me, reversing direction quickly after I evade to keep me off balance," I reply, drinking a Potion quickly to heal my leg. Paine sheathes her sword and turns to leave, only to meet the inquiring face of Yuna, who apparently had been watching us for some amount of time.

"What are you looking at?" Paine asks, and Yuna steps back, letting the girl pass.

"I was just watching you two fight," she replies, and Paine doesn't seem to make a sign of acknowledgment, instead simply continuing to walk out of the cargo hold. Sighing, I walk over to Yuna.

"How much longer till we hit Kilika?" I ask.

"Only about 5 more minutes. We're almost there."

"Alright. I'll be in my room," I say, walking out of the hold and back to my room.

* * *

A few minutes later, Brother's voice comes over the intercom. 

"Ehlusehk tydy! Gullwings, du ouin cdydeuhc!" Sighing, I spherechange to Gunner and run out of the room, headed to the Bridge. When I arrive, Buddy is typing furiously on the console in front of him.

"Rao, yfacusa," he says.

"What's awesome?" Rikku asks.

"We're getting reports of an 'awesome sphere'? Looks like it's already drawn quite a crowd. The reports are from Kilika Woods." Yuna's face lights up, and she grins, turning to the rest of us.

"I want that sphere."

"It's as good as ours!" Rikku exclaims, pumping a fist into the air. "Let's scramble!"

"Who is the leader? I am!" Brother cuts in, glaring at Rikku. "I give the orders around here!"

"We're listening," Paine says calmly. That seems to calm Brother down, and I chuckle silently.

"Let's go! Party! Party!" he says, and we all nod, heading for the exit as the Celsius sets down outside Kilika Port.

As we exit the airship, I take a moment to look around at Kilika. Two years ago, the entire place was destroyed by Sin. Now, the entire port is bustling with activity, having been rebuilt even bigger and better than before. People are moving from place to place, and the port is generally quite busy when we step out onto one of the docks.

"I wonder what this 'awesome sphere' is like," Yuna says, turning to Rikku.

"Well, it's definitely awesome!" she replies, sounding quite excited. Yuna giggles, smiling broadly.

"It will be, won't it!" she says, Paine simply shaking her head and walking ahead of us.

"Keep this up and someone will beat us to it," she tells the duo, who stop immediately and follow her. Sighing, I shake my head and follow the trio of girls. A minute later, we come across a large wooden gate, blocking the entrance to Kilika Woods. The guards seem to recognize Yuna, unsurprisingly, and open the gate for us to pass through. The gate shuts behind us as we walk inside, and we come upon a large group of people, with a figure approaching in the distance.

"These are all sphere hunters?" Yuna asks, Paine shaking her head.

"I don't think so," she replies, and I nod.

"Paine's right. These aren't all sphere hunters," I tell her, as the man who was approaching finally steps in front of the group. It appears to be an older man, dressed in a red outfit and carrying a curved walking stick. His long brown hair is tied back into a ponytail, and a pair of spectacles adorn his face, giving him a distinguished look.

"Nooj," Paine says, recognizing the person. Nooj looks over the crowd for a moment, then begins to speak.

"Greetings, friends! An important sphere is hidden in Kilika Temple. A sphere documenting the true history of Spira. We are here today to demand that New Yevon make the contents of that sphere public. Yet, as always, the voice seeking truth goes ignored. My friends, I ask you: why? Because New Yevon wants to hide the truth! Just as the temples did before them! I tell you now, this has gone on long enough! My friends, stand with me, and together we will bring the truth back to the people." As Nooj finishes speaking, the people let out a collective cheer and applause, and Nooj raises his hand to silence the crowd.

"But...let's not overdo it. Our opponents aren't as young as they used to be," he says, chuckling. Most of the people laugh at the joke, before Nooj turns and walks back into the woods, the group of people following him. Yuna and Paine turn to each other.

"Not exactly what I had expected," Yuna says, her voice sounding a little disappointed.

"Hey, that's our sphere!" Rikku says, still watching the group of people walk away. "Oh, poopie!" she exclaims, turning to us. "So, what now? Call it quits?"

"Don't know about you, but I could use an awesome sphere," Paine says, crossing her arms and looking at the other two, the beginnings of a smirk crossing her face. Yuna smiles, seeing what her friend is implying.

"Hmm...okay! They can't decide who it belongs to? I say we make it our own. Right?" she says, and we all nod.

"Right!" Rikku and Paine say, as the trio give each other high fives. I simply draw my pistols, ready for anything, and start to make my way into the forest. The three girls follow me a moment later. As we walk into the woods, we come across a guard at a bridge, keeping a few angry people from crossing. A second guard walks up behind him, helping him to maintain order.

"Hand over the sphere! The temples have controlled Spira's secrets long enough!" one angry man yells, waving his fist at a guard. The guard doesn't flinch, however, the citizens not being armed.

"Spheres? Secrets? What's this about?" the guard asks.

"Don't play dumb! We know you're guarding something!" another yells, the second guard speaking up now.

"Hey! We're here to guard our families from rabble like you."

"What did you say?" a third says, angry at the comment. The guard just steps in front of the man and the other guard, facing the people.

"I think it's time you left," he says, waving the people off. The people are reluctant to leave, but do so, apparently electing to find another way through. Stopping, I turn to Yuna and the others.

"Looks like if we're getting in, we're fighting our way in. No sneaking around this," I say, and Yuna looks a bit hesitant, before nodding. Continuing to walk along the path leading towards the temple, we come across a trio of guards blocking the path. Stopping, I examine the trio for a moment, before deciding the best way to approach it. Yuna and the others do the same, then run in, Yuna snapping off a pair of shots which make two guards drop their guns. I draw one of my pistols and fire, the third dropping his weapon just as Paine and Rikku smash into them. Paine throws a right hook which sends one guard to the ground, and Rikku slams the handle of her daggers into the second guard's face. Yuna turns and shoots the final guard, sending him down in a heap, and we quickly run past them, leaving the guards behind before they can call for help.

"Yeah...that worked well enough..." I mutter, running up some of the steps, before we come face to face with another duo of guards. Shaking my head, I barrel headlong into them, my foot slashing out to catch the one on my right in the chest, as Paine's foot knocks a guard clear off his feet to land a foot or two away. Spinning, I quickly level the other guard with a spinning heel kick, before racing up the stone steps and stepping onto the platform where we fought Sinspawn Geneaux 2 years ago. Dona and a group of others are there, facing a priest of some sort, and more guards. Standing back, we listen intently to what appears to be the end of a conversation between Dona and the priest.

"Which is why I keep telling you..."

"Shut up. Just give us the sphere and we'll be on our way," Dona says, interrupting the man and holding her hand out.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the priest says defiantly. Suddenly, a person comes running down the steps, a sphere in hand, apparently found inside or near the temple.

"Hey! I found the sphere!" the man yells, and Dona turns back to the priest, a somewhat condescending look on her face.

"There you have it," she says, gesturing towards the man. Suddenly, before anyone else can do anything, a rumbling noise can be heard and felt, and it seems to be getting closer.

"What's that?" Dona asks, looking around for the source. Suddenly, a large, stone golem lumbers onto the platform, stepping up beside the priest to face Dona. Most of the people run away, but the man with the sphere and one or two others stay behind.

"I had a little something prepared for just such an occasion. Nice knowing you!" the priest says, and I glare, growling and stepping towards the priest.

"You're willing to endanger lives for the sake of a sphere? You're going down, you jerk!" I yell, charging the priest as Yuna, Rikku, and Paine charge the golem, YSLS-Zero.

_(Play Ben's Theme, Sandstorm)_

"Insolent boy! Fire!" the priest yells, a Fire spell rocketing towards me. Quickly, I grab both my pistols and roll under the spell, before launching a Trigger Happy attack at the priest. He takes all the shots, stumbling back, before launching a Thunder spell. The lightning bolt strikes me, attracted to the metal of my guns, and I stagger back, electricity coursing through me for a moment. Holstering my pistols, I jump into the air, spherechanging in mid fall. When the light clears, I'm now dressed in a tan pair of shorts, coming just above my knees and allowing me freedom of motion. A white tank top adorns my chest, and a silver bracelet is on my left wrist, opposite the Garment Grid on my right wrist. A white headband is wrapped around my forehead, and a light pair of tan shoes cover my feet, as I spin the two white daggers of my Thief dressphere around for a moment.

"I like this..." I say, smirking and charging the priest. Slashing at him twice, I step back for a moment, before stealing a Hi-Potion out of one of the pockets of his robe. Still smiling, I spin ninety degrees and launch a high kick, but the priest ducks under and launches a Blizzard spell into my side. The magic spins me around, tossing me to the ground, but I roll with the attack, standing up quickly and drinking a Potion. Rushing the priest once again, I jump and slash down, the priest moving out of the way of the attack. That was what I wanted, though. My left foot comes around faster than he can move, and catches him squarely in the stomach, lifting him up and off the ground to hit the dirt a foot or so away from me. Glaring at him, I run back over to the others, who are still locked in battle with YSLS-Zero.

_(End Ben's Theme; play FFX-2 theme YuRiPa Battle 1)_

"Need a hand?" I ask, just in time to see Paine slam her sword into the 'stomach' of the golem, cutting a chunk of rock out with the Power Break attack. "Guess not..."

"Take this!" Yuna yells, a bullet flying in and hitting with enough force to shake the fiend. Rikku also runs in, slashing wildly at the golem with the sword of her Warrior dressphere. Spherechanging back to Warrior quickly, I run in and deliver a Power Break attack of my own, the shock causing the golem to wobble a little. Yuna unleashes a flurry of shots, right before the golem knocks Paine back to land on the dirt. I'm a little slow to react, and also get hit by the fiend's other fist. Picking myself up off the dirt, I drink another Potion, before my sword starts to glow with bluish-white light.

"Ice Brand!" I yell, Rikku running in beside me.

"Liquid Steel!" Rikku yells, as we bring our swords down hard on the chest of the golem, a burst of ice and water flying from our blades and making the creature step back. Raising one fist, it grabs the wrist of that arm with its other hand, before the fist comes flying off, Yuna taking the full hit and falling to the ground, out cold.

"Yuna!" I yell, quickly looking around to see Paine locked in combat with YSLS-Zero again. "Paine, keep it busy!" Running over to Yuna quickly, I use a Phoenix Down on her, the magical elixir seeping into her body. After a moment, her eyes open, and she stands up again, though weakly. Reaching into her pocket, she takes out a Potion and drinks it, before nodding at us and launching another flurry of shots. The golem is starting to fall apart now, chunks of its body missing, and Rikku and I rush to help Paine, the three of us bringing our swords down one after another. The YSLS-Zero can't take the strain of any more attacks, and collapses, falling apart into pieces of rock which burst into pyreflies afterwards.

_(End FFX-2 theme YuRiPa Battle 1)_

"How you like that?" Rikku asks, smirking and turning to Yuna.

"Not bad at all!" Yuna replies.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Dona asks, looking the four of us over.

"Actually, we're sphere hunters," Yuna replies. Dona just gives a tired look to Yuna, shaking her head.

"So?"

"Gullwings, let's go!" Yuna exclaims, dropping into a crouch and pointing both guns at Dona, Rikku and Paine dropping into fighting stances as well. "Sorry, Dona, the sphere is ours." Paine quickly runs in, and takes the sphere from the man holding it, before we all start to run down the steps. The Celsius appears, flying overhead the temple, and drops us a rope ladder to climb back up on.

"Tough luck," Paine says to no one in particular, jumping onto the ladder along with the rest of us, and climbing back aboard the Celsius as it flies off.

* * *

Next chapter will be amusing...Yuna's concert! And my favorite line in the whole game...but that's next chapter. As always, please review! 


	7. Chapter 7: Find Your Way

Kind of a short chapter this time, but more development than anything else. As always, the replies.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Hm. Okay.

desert-tiger: The OCs each have their own purpose...you'll find out soon enough. And yes, this chapter is relatively funny.

Auron's Fan: (plays the Mission Complete theme) Actually, some of the things from chapter 1 of FFX-2 will come back and combine with chapter 2. You'll just have to see for yourself. And, please, don't remind me of Lady Luck...(shudders)

OCAdam: Rikku...calm down. You don't have to kill the guy. Hm, as for most of the OCs being invincible to everything, not me. I got killed twice in Destiny's Call, and many more times in Eternal Requiem, more than likely.

Iron Reaver: I think you've discerned that I don't like priests. And I've proven my mettle in battle, as well. Hehehe...

XxCougarxX: Actually, there are a few lines in this chapter that I like. Notably, Rikku saying, 'Did you see their faces? They totally wet their pants!' and Yuna saying, 'Who the heck is Lenne!'. Those amuse me.

mike: If you're reading this, welcome to Eternal Requiem, mike! My favorite character in FFX-2 is Lenne, to answer your question. And thanks for the compliments on my stories.

Now, on to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 7—Find Your Way

As we walk back onto the bridge of the Celsius, Paine holding the sphere, Rikku grins from ear to ear, looking as if she's going to burst with happiness.

"Did you see their faces? They totally wet their pants!" Rikku exclaims, and I double over, laughing hysterically. Wiping tears from my eyes, I shake my head as Yuna speaks.

"Maybe we overdid it?" she asks, and Brother spins around to look at her, mouth open in shock.

"'Overdid it'? There is no such thing! The Gullwings shall be notorious throughout Spira!" he says, and Paine turns to face him, her gaze neutral as always.

"They weren't all that happy," she says, Rikku looking at her with a look of confusion.

"Huh?"

"Don't forget that notoriety can be a bad thing," Paine says to Brother, ignoring Rikku.

"So what?" Brother replies. "I want to have fun."

"Just make sure you don't do anything to land us in hot water, okay?" Buddy tells Brother, who simply shakes his head.

"Aww...where's the fun in being plain old regular sphere hunters?" Rikku asks, voice holding a certain air of disappointment. Walking over, I wrap an arm around her shoulders, and grin.

"Yeah, what she said!" Brother agrees, earning a round of looks from around the bridge.

"Oh, no..." Paine starts, not even bothering to finish her sentence.

"What?" Yuna asks. Shinra steps forward now, speaking for the first time in a while.

"Whenever Rikku and Brother agree...bad stuff happens."

"Hey! That's my girlfriend you're talking about!" I say, putting on a tone of mock outrage. Rikku just giggles, and I laugh as well. "But...you have a point there," I finish, earning a punch on the shoulder for my trouble.

"That...can't be good," Yuna says, seeming to finish Paine's earlier sentence. "How'd the sphere analysis go?" she asks, turning to Shinra and changing the subject.

"Hmm..." Shinra says, pausing for a moment and turning back to his computer, typing quickly and pulling up a menu. "It's just a regular movie sphere. It doesn't appear to have any special functions. You wanna take a look?"

"Sure," she replies, as we all walk over, the image of the sphere beginning to play over Shinra's computer screen. A picture of a large room appears, with the same boy from the other sphere that Yuna showed Lulu at Besaid standing in the middle. His back is to the sphere, and in front of him is an enormous machina, with the visage of a horned skull.

"You know, you're all I can count on to save Lenne," the boy states, the sphere continuing to watch the boy and the machina for a moment, before shutting off.

"Fryd eh Spira ec dryd machina?" Brother asks, awed by the evil-looking machina from the sphere.

"Any ideas?" Buddy asks, looking around at us.

"Not a one," Shinra replies, looking at the older Al Bhed. "But, as machina go, it looks extremely dangerous. Definitely a weapon."

"Yunie...it's him," Rikku whispers to her friend, who just looks down at the ground. Without saying anything, Yuna walks out of the bridge, Rikku and Paine following after a moment. Silently, I follow them out, and head back to my room.

* * *

"Should I tell them...or should I wait and let them find out...so many choices..." I'm torn between telling them what I know about Shuyin and Lenne, or waiting for them to discover it on their own. I don't want them to be completely clueless...but I also don't want Yuna to know it's not Tidus in the sphere. Sighing, I get up and walk back towards the bridge, unable to think of anything else to do. When I get there, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are over near one side of the bridge, talking amongst themselves. Looking around, I walk inside, and lean over the guardrail, looking over the bridge from the top of the small staircase.

"Gullwings, front and center!" Brother says, and I leap over the guardrail, landing in a crouch and walking up to stand near Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. "So, uh...let's give back that sphere, what do you say?"

"But we worked so hard to get it!" Rikku protests, Brother clenching both fists.

"That thing is uber bad news," he replies, and I shake my head, mentally laughing at the expression on Brother's face.

"What if we donated the sphere to the study of Spira's history? That's what being a sphere hunter was originally about, right?" Buddy asks, and Paine turns to him.

"It's a little late to be bringing that up."

"Yeah! We already swiped it!" Rikku adds.

"Well, I still don't want it!" Brother exclaims. "We're giving it back! Now!" Yuna just nods, unaffected by Brother's small outburst.

"You don't mind?" Rikku asks Yuna.

"I've seen it," she replies simply.

"It's still pretty shameless to saunter up and give back the sphere we just stole," Buddy comments.

"Oui pi xiead!" Brother tells Buddy, who just shakes his head in annoyance.

"Our reputation is all but worthless if we do that. Our leader's, too, no less," Paine comments, her arms folded.

"Crid ib!" Brother tells Paine, and Paine just rolls her eyes.

"Who says we have to give it back to New Yevon?" I ask.

"What do you have in mind?" Yuna asks, and I smile.

"Youth League wanted it, right? Let's give it to them," I reply, looking around. Silence meets my suggestion, before Yuna finally speaks up again.

"Well, now, this isn't any fun at all."

"I really gotta let off some steam," Rikku says, and I find myself nodding in agreement.

"Whaddaya got in mind?" Buddy asks, Shinra looking over all of us before speaking.

"Why don't we ask Yuna to dance?" he suggests.

"Dance?" Yuna asks, looking a little surprised. Brother, however, seems intrigued by the suggestion.

"Oh? That's it!" he exclaims, turning to Yuna. "Yuna, you must dance! Our sanity depends on it!"

"That sounds like an order, Yuna," Paine says, sounding slightly amused by the situation.

"The exercise will do us good," Yuna replies, smiling.

"Whoopeeee!" Brother shouts, and I can't contain my amusement any longer, bursting into a fit of laughter. Rikku just sighs, as Yuna speaks again.

"Hang tight while I get ready," she says, walking out and presumably back to her room. Watching Yuna go, I sigh, beginning to follow her out.

"Where are you going?" Rikku asks, and I stop.

"Up on deck," I reply, walking out.

* * *

As I step onto the deck of the Celsius, feeling the wind whip past me as we fly, I notice just how calm I feel. The feeling of freedom, being able to go anywhere and do anything, the feeling of flying through the air, and mostly, the silence. A chance to think, to ponder, to sort out the feelings twisted inside your mind.

"You feeling okay?" a voice behind me asks, and I turn to see Rikku standing there.

"Eh, I'm fine," I reply, as she walks over to stand beside me.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

"Believe it or not, I'm trying not to think," I say, shaking my head. Rikku smiles.

"Sure didn't seem to think too much on Yunie's pilgrimage, either," she teases, and I put on a look of mock hurt.

"Hey, that's not nice! I did plenty of thinking...just not when it came to anything involving my actions..." I trail off, chuckling. Rikku giggles too, and shakes her head.

"You never did seem to think before you act."

"Still don't. I say, your first instinct is the right one. Just follow your gut. Do what you know is right, and you'll never go wrong," I reply, looking back out over the blue sky.

"You may have a point," Rikku says, and I quirk an eyebrow.

"Of course I have a point. You expected less?" I ask, jokingly.

"Yep," she says, and my face falls as Rikku laughs.

"Not funny..." I say, chuckling.

"I thought it was!" she replies, still laughing. "Come on, let's get back inside. They might need our help."

"Yeah, sure..." I say, sarcastically, but follow Rikku back into the Celsius anyway.

* * *

A few hours later, Rikku walks to the door of my room, letting me know that the concert, of sorts, is about to start. Nodding, I stand up from my bed, following her up to the deck. When we arrive, the deck has been set up much like a small band stage. I recognize the three strange musicians, and guess that Brother must've picked them up at Macalania Woods sometime. I also recognize Tobli, and chuckle a little as he walks around the instruments, making sure they're set up correctly. Tobli then walks off, and the door to the deck opens, Yuna walking out in her Songstress dressphere, microphone in hand. Everyone sits down, as the band begins to play, Yuna beginning to sing along with the music after a moment, dancing to the rhythm as well.

Silently, I stand in the back, leaning beside the door of the deck. I'm watching Yuna, trying to take my mind off of things, but it seems that my mind has other ideas.

'_Should I tell them about Shuyin and Lenne, or should I let them find out on their own...man, this is confusing...I want them to know, but at the same time, I don't want to change anything. I should just forget about it...what happens, happens.'_ Sighing, I shake my head to clear it, before focusing on the concert again.

A few minutes later, the small concert has ended, Yuna walking over to sit at the side of the Celsius. By the look on her face, I can tell she's thinking about the sphere, but to be more specific, Lenne. Looking around as everyone talks amongst themselves, I stare up at the sky, watching the stars intently to try and ease my mind. Suddenly, Yuna stands up, looking almost angry about something.

"Who the heck is Lenne!" she exclaims, and everyone stops, turning to look at her with a look of surprise on their face. Yuna suddenly seems to realize that she said that out loud, and turns, a clear look of embarrassment coming across her face. "I'm going to go to bed," she says, attempting to save at least some of her dignity, and walks off of the deck. As the door closes, I collapse into a round of hysterical laughter, my eyes tearing over as I lean against the side of the Celsius. Rikku looks at me as if I've lost my mind, before shaking her head.

"...Ah, that was great..." I say to myself, before looking at Rikku. "I think Yuna's on to something. I'm going to bed too, see you guys tomorrow." With a final nod, I walk off the deck, headed back to my room.

Stepping into my room, I take off my shoes and socks, before slumping back onto the bed. Yawning, I stare at the ceiling for a moment, having nothing better to occupy myself with, before falling into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

_I have to get out of here...I have to save us both...I have to save her. Grabbing her hand, I run down a hallway, footsteps behind us letting me know we're still being pursued. Turning into a second hallway, she lets out a short cry from the sudden change in direction as we rush down the hall._ _The corridors seem endless, every one looking exactly the same, no change in design or color at all. Without thinking, I turn, running into a large open room, as if I know exactly where to go._

_It's a dead end. Nowhere left to run...all we can do is wait. They're closing in now; the footsteps are getting closer. They've found us...guns raised, they block the exit. I hold her, looking into her eyes, as she looks into mine, her eyes pleading for a way out, yet understanding and accepting our fates. I meet their faces, showing no fear, but rather, acceptance...but hate. Hate for the situation we're in...and hate for those who put us there. They fire now, the bullets striking us both and sending us to the floor. With all my strength, I turn my head to look at her, neither of us able to move now. A single tear falls from her eye, as I vainly try to move my hand, to help her...but it's too late. The last thing I see is her face...and then white...

* * *

_

"Aaah!" Sitting up in my bed, I look around, drenched in sweat and shivering. My breathing starts to slow, as I realize it was all a dream. Then, it speeds back up again, as I realize exactly what just happened.

"That was...Rikku...and me..." I mumble, standing up and stepping out of bed. "I need to go see Yuna..." Walking down the hallway, I take the elevator up to the cabin, stepping out. As I walk inside, I see Yuna sitting up in her bed, much the same way as I was, Rikku and Paine standing beside her. Quickly, I run up the stairs, standing next to the three of them.

"Yuna, are you okay?" I ask, Yuna still seeming a little stunned.

"What..."

"What 'what'?" Paine asks.

"It must've been a dream," Yuna says, calming down a little.

"A dream's a dream," Paine replies, Rikku giggling a little.

"Blame it on your new jammies," she comments, Yuna now realizing she fell asleep in the Songstress dressphere. Standing up, she spherechanges back to her normal Gunner, before I speak.

"Yuna...what was your dream about?" I ask, cautiously.

"It was weird...Tidus and I were running through some kind of hallways, and we ran into this room...we were being followed, too. We got there, and guards came in...they blocked the exit, and then...they killed us. That's when I woke up," she replies, and I nod.

"I had the exact same dream, but with Rikku and I in your places," I say, and Yuna gasps.

"What...?" she says, shocked.

"I don't know what it means, but I can explain some. You wanted to know who Lenne was?" I ask, and Yuna nods. "Alright, I'll tell you what I know. Lenne was a famous songstress, who lived in Zanarkand a thousand years ago. She was also a summoner. Her boyfriend, Shuyin, was a blitzball player. Now, Zanarkand and Bevelle were at war with each other, and all the summoners were called to fight. Lenne didn't want to go, and so Shuyin decided he would find a way to save her. He went underneath Bevelle, where he found a machina named Vegnagun. He planned to use it to destroy the Bevelle forces, ending the war. Lenne tried to stop him, knowing that wasn't the way, but they were both trapped there, in that room, and killed."

"That's...horrible..." Yuna says, after a moment.

"I know. That's all I can tell you, I'm still not sure myself why I had this dream. I'll think on it, but I can't make any promises that I'll figure anything out." As I walk out, headed back to my room, Rikku runs after me, walking beside me in the hall.

"Ben...you said...they killed us?" she asks, nervously, and I nod. "Do you think it'll happen...?"

"It won't. They'll have to kill me first to touch you, I swear it," I reply, giving her a final look that seems to put her at ease, before I take the elevator back down, headed back to my room.

* * *

I enjoyed writing the dream sequence, that was probably my favorite part of this chapter. So, what does it all mean? Keep reading to find out! Until next chapter, please review!


	8. Chapter 8: One Can Dream

Well, another developmental chapter this time...but next time...action! Mwahaha! (cough) Sorry. Anyway, on to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Song...overload...(faints)

Iron Reaver: Hmk. Details, you must give me.

Auron's Fan: Please, please, don't remind me of Lady Luck...it doesn't help that the attacks in that dressphere are some of my favorites...

locko: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, locko! Thanks.

ross heuchan: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, ross! You'll have to read to see exactly what happens.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: I see.

XxCougarxX: The dream was quite fun to write, and yes, freaky as heck the first time I saw it.

Fallen Angel-2009: Thank you.

Arachnid: That was quite an amusing part...you'll have to wait a bit longer, though.

Now, on to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 8—One Can Dream

As I lie on my bed, examining my Garment Grid, I can feel the Celsius land somewhere. As for where, however, I haven't the slightest. Standing up, I walk out of the room and head to the exit, Yuna and the others showing up a moment later.

"So, where are we now?" I ask, leaning near the door.

"Mushroom Rock Road. We're going to give the sphere we stole to the Youth League," Yuna replies, and I nod.

"Sounds like a plan," I tell her, turning and walking out of the Celsius. Looking around, I take a moment to glance at the surroundings, before walking up towards the fork in the path. As we do, a man approaches us, looking happy to see Yuna.

"Good to see you again, Lady Yuna! You haven't forgotten me, have you?" Yuna just smiles, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Yaibal, isn't it?" she says, looking at the man. "You're in the Youth League." Smiling, Yaibal nods back at her.

"You really do remember me! I'm truly honored, Lady Yuna! Since that day we first spoke, the Youth League has been conducting a sphere hunt of its own. We, the Youth League..." he begins, but seems to forget what he's supposed to say. "Hmm...Clasko, take it from here." Reluctantly, another man walks over, sighing, before beginning to speak.

"We, the Youth League, to better our understanding of Spira's past, vow to remain ever vigilant in our search...for ruins and spheres," he says, Yaibal nodding in approval.

"Well, guess it's your lucky day. We happen to have a sphere for you," I say, as Yuna shows him the sphere. Nodding, Yaibal points to the path to the left of us.

"You can take that path over there, it will lead you straight to headquarters. I'm glad to see people helping us out in our endeavor to learn more about Spira's history," he replies, and Yuna nods.

"It's good to be of help," she tells him, beginning to walk the path to headquarters, all of us following.

* * *

Mushroom Rock Road is much the same as I remember it from Yuna's pilgrimage. Not much has changed, it seems. Until we reach about halfway through, that is.

"Wonder what's down there..." Yuna says, looking down at the chasm in the road. It's not very deep, easy to climb down to. Shrugging, Rikku turns to Yuna.

"Let's go find out," she says, beginning to climb down into the small canyon. Yuna follows her, as well as Paine and myself after a moment.

The canyon is relatively straight forward, no branching paths, just small niches every now and then. It doesn't take us long to find the end, and what we do find intrigues Yuna and the others.

"This one ain't no good," Ormi says, kneeling over a pile of spheres. Behind them is a large door of sorts, with 10 indents in it, apparently places to put spheres. A combination lock, of sorts.

"Nor this one," Logos adds, tossing another sphere out of the way.

"What're you doing?" Yuna asks the two sphere thieves, causing them to stand up quickly in shock. Ormi quickly bends down, grabbing the spheres and tucking them all away.

"Let's get outta here!" he says, Logos nodding and drawing one of his pistols.

"We must inform the boss!" he exclaims, firing the pistol at the ground, which causes an explosion of smoke. When the smoke clears, we find Logos and Ormi gone, but there is one sphere lying on the ground. Apparently, they missed that one. Walking over to it, I pick it up, as Yuna, Rikku, and Paine examine the large door.

"Hey. Long time no see," a voice says from behind us, and we turn to see a quite familiar face. "Remember me?"

"Of course I do!" Yuna says.

"Nice to see you again, Maroda," I say, nodding to the former guardian.

"Glad to hear it," he replies, walking up to us.

"How've you been?" Yuna asks him.

"I joined up with the Youth League and that's been keeping me pretty busy," he tells us, looking over Yuna closely for a moment.

"Oh, I'm a sphere hunter now," she says, answering his unspoken question.

"Ah, that sounds great, trying out a new way of life. Actually, Pacce's a sphere hunter now, too. He's the leader of the Kinderguardians. Be nice to him if you see him."

"We already have. We ran into him and the Kinderguardians in Zanarkand. They seem to be enjoying themselves," I answer, chuckling a little.

"How's Isaaru?" Yuna asks, and Maroda looks at her for a moment, before walking past us and up to the strange door.

"The Youth League discovered this place, you know," he explains, ignoring Yuna's query. "It's called the Den of Woe. It was sealed around the time of Operation Mi'ihen."

"And Isaaru?" Yuna asks again, wanting an answer to her question.

"But, uh, the seal can supposedly be broken with the right combination of spheres," he continues.

"Um..." Yuna begins, but is cut off by Maroda.

"I'm afraid this place is off-limits until we can conduct a more thorough investigation. So I'll, um, have to ask you to leave. I'm sorry." With a nod to Yuna, I walk out of the small cavern, the others following behind me as I walk back to the end of the canyon and climb back up onto the main part of Mushroom Rock Road.

"He didn't want to talk about Isaaru much, huh?" Yuna asks, continuing to walk down the path.

"Seems that way," Paine answers.

"I'm sure he has his reasons. Let's just forget about it for now," I remark, as we approach the small elevator leading to the entrance to Youth League Headquarters. Standing on the circle, it lifts up into the air, stopping and allowing us to step off in front of a large elevator. This elevator will take us to the top part of Mushroom Rock Road, to the place where Operation Mi'ihen was launched two years ago.

"Oh, wow! Lady Yuna!" a woman in front of us says, walking over to us from her position at the elevator. "It's me, Elma! It's been so long!" Looking Yuna over for a moment, she smiles. "Wow, you've really changed."

"How are you?" Yuna asks Elma.

"Never better! Now that I'm in the Youth League, I've always got something to do!" she replies, and Yuna smiles.

"We've got a sphere for you. Yaibal told us to bring it to headquarters," I say, stepping up beside Yuna. Nodding, Elma motions to two other Youth League members, who were guarding the elevator.

"Go on, step aside!" she says, and the members salute, moving away from the elevator.

"Wow, look at you!" Yuna says, impressed by Elma's new position.

"Not bad, huh?" she asks with a smile. Nodding, Yuna gives a final smile to Elma, before stepping onto the elevator with us, which slowly makes its way upward. As it stops, I can see the Youth League headquarters in front of us, and I smile. This has been quite easy.

"Let's go," I say, headed for the very back of the headquarters, towards the main building. As we walk, Yuna notices everyone staring at us, and steps closer to us. Apparently, she's feeling a little uncomfortable because of all the attention.

"Wow! They're pulling out all the stops!" Rikku says, looking around.

"I wonder why..." Yuna trails off, and I just shake my head.

"You're the high summoner, remember?" Paine says, seemingly feeling the same way I do at the moment. I notice a few stares being directed my way as well, but I simply shrug them off. I don't mind attention, as I usually just ignore it unless I'm addressed. Not to sound mean or anything, but it's the truth. As we approach the main building, I can see Nooj standing outside, and I motion to Yuna, who pulls out the sphere, walking up to Nooj.

"We'd like to give you the sphere that you were looking for. Now that you have this, you can stop the fighting in Kilika," she says, handing the sphere to Nooj.

"How generous...and how sudden," Nooj replies, looking over the sphere for a moment. "Maybe you should start by introducing yourself, High Sum..."

"We're the Gullwings," Rikku cuts in, quickly stepping beside Yuna and silencing Nooj.

"I see. Sphere hunters," Nooj replies, looking us over for a moment. "In that case, I gratefully accept the sphere you have brought. On behalf of the Youth League, we thank you. Everyone, three cheers for the Gullwings!" As the people cheer, Yuna looks around a little, obviously embarrassed by all the attention. Turning back to the building, Nooj motions us inside, and I nod, stepping inside with the others behind me, Nooj shutting the door quickly.

"So, did you watch it?" he asks, and I nod.

"We did," I reply, keeping a level expression.

"Forget," he says simply, and I shake my head.

"We can't," I say, and Yuna nods. Nooj stays silent for a moment, before beginning to speak again.

"Some advice. That...thing...the colossus you saw is known as Vegnagun. It possesses overwhelming destructive power. It must not be touched! Yet those Yevon fools think they can control it. The Youth League will do whatever it takes to make sure they do not get a chance to try. Trust me, you don't want to get involved."

"Tell me...who was the man I saw in the sphere?" Yuna asks, and I give a small sideways glance at her as Nooj shakes his head.

"I cannot say."

"I see," Yuna replies, as the door suddenly swings open, a slightly out-of-breath Buddy running in.

"Hey, we got a distress signal from the Celsius! Gullwings, we're leaving!" he says, and we all nod, running out of the room quickly and heading back to the Celsius.

* * *

"What happened?" I ask, as we re-enter the bridge. Shinra walks over, shaking his head.

"It's official. We've been burgled. The broken sphere from the Zanarkand Ruins is missing."

"Looks like the burglar left us a present," Buddy adds, holding up a sphere. Turning it on, Buddy sets it on a table as an image of Leblanc appears, standing in the bridge and looking quite smug.

"Who's on top now, Dullwings?" she taunts, smirking. "It'll be a thousand years before you can take on the mighty Leblanc!" Ormi and Logos start laughing in the background, as the sphere fades out.

"She got us," Paine states, folding her arms in annoyance.

"Oh, poopie!" Yuna exclaims, he face scrunching.

"Yuna! Don't talk like that!" Rikku says, and Yuna spins to her.

"I'm just copying you!" she retorts, and I resist the urge to chuckle at the two.

"That's nice. And?" Paine asks, flatly.

"We're gonna take it back! No one messes with us!" Yuna says, defiantly.

"And what about Vegnagun?" Paine adds. Yuna thinks for a moment, before sighing.

"We're forgetting who we are! We're sphere hunters! The Gullwings!" she replies, Brother pumping a fist into the air.

"That's right! We steal back what is stolen. It is the law of the sphere hunter! Now we go to Chateau Leblanc! We attack in the name of honor!"

"...Get our hineys kicked in the name of honor," Shinra says, coughing lightly. I'm about ninety percent sure that I could go in, take on all of them myself and come out perfectly fine, but as much as that idea sounds nice to me, I'm not too willing to try.

"Maybe we could sneak in in disguise?" Yuna suggests, and Brother turns to her, eyes wide.

"That's it! Yuna, you are brilliant!" he exclaims, and Rikku looks at everyone.

"So, we have to fly around till we find Leblanc's gang..."

"Beat them up and steal their uniforms. Four of them," Paine finishes.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Why don't we start right here? We did see Logos and Ormi, after all. Who's to say they aren't still here?" I ask, and Yuna nods.

"Alright, let's go, Gullwings!" Yuna says, and we all run towards the exit again. As we run back out onto Mushroom Rock Road, a transmission suddenly comes in from Buddy.

"Buddy here. We're picking up some weak sphere waves near you," he says, and Rikku looks around, seeing nothing.

"Hm, I don't see anything."

"It's probably in the ravine. Do you see a way down?" he asks.

"We'll find our way down," I reply.

"Be careful!" Brother adds, before the comlink cuts out.

"Well, looks like we're going back to the ravine first," I say, beginning to head back down the left path, everyone following me. After a minute, we come back to the place where we descended into the ravine. Everyone starts down, but suddenly, the rock crumbles out from under Rikku. She starts to fall, giving a short cry, but I reach out and grab her hand, bracing myself with my other feet as Paine grabs my other arm. Rikku's feet find places on the rock once again, and I let her go.

"Thanks," she says, and I nod.

"No problem. Let's just get down there."

The rest of the way back into the ravine is uneventful, and we soon find ourselves back at the Den of Woe. As we step inside, we find Nooj, staring at the door with a sphere in hand.

"Hmph," he mutters, seemingly annoyed by something.

"Is something the matter?" Yuna asks. Turning to us, Nooj's face goes from annoyance, back to a normal expression.

"Oh. It's you. As you can see, this place has been sealed. But just this one isn't enough," he says, holding up a crimson colored sphere in his left hand.

"That's the end of that, then," Yuna says, sighing.

"No, it's not, Yunie," Rikku says, looking at her friend.

"Oh! I know! Why don't you let the Gullwings take on this mission?" Yuna asks Nooj, who seems to think it over for a moment.

"You'll find the other spheres?" he asks, and Yuna nods.

"On my honor as a sphere hunter!" she says, as her lips twist into a small smile. "Of course, we won't do it for free..." Shaking his head, Nooj smiles.

"Very well, I leave it in your hands. Here, hold on to this sphere," he says, beginning to walk towards Rikku.

"Thanks!" she says, holding out her hand to grab the sphere, but Nooj turns, stepping in front of Paine instead.

"Perhaps this is fate?" he asks, Paine shaking her head in response.

"I don't think so," she says, as he hands her the sphere, walking out of the Den a moment later.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rikku exclaims after a moment. "You know him?"

"Rikku..." I say, starting to stop her, but Paine interrupts, turning to Rikku.

"Why should you care?" she asks, coldly.

"Come on, there was something between you two, right?" she asks, pushing the matter.

"Rikku," Paine says, obviously frustrated, "I'll say this once, okay? I consider you friends, and I trust you. I even respect you. All right? I would think that would be enough."

"Well, yeah, but...don't you ever want to know more about your friends?" she asks, unwilling to let the subject drop.

"Not really," she says, bluntly.

"Well, I do," Rikku says, walking up and taking Paine's hand. "I do wanna know more about you."

"What for? Who cares what happened in the past?"

"There was something!" Yuna says suddenly, stepping over to Paine. "Come on, Paine! You can tell us! What happened?"

'_Boy, Paine's not happy now...' _I think, shaking my head. _'Too bad for her, I guess. There's really little I can do to stop it...' _

"You disappoint me, Yuna. I thought you were above all that," she says, now trying to get Yuna to leave her alone.

"Well, not anymore. I like asking questions," Yuna replies quickly.

"You'll lose friends."

"You think so?" Yuna asks, a little nervous. Paine just nods. "Never mind, then."

"Aww!" Rikku whines. "And I was looking forward to hearing the good stuff! Confessions of a shady past!"

"You're a pain," Paine says, frowning at Rikku. "Minus four respect points, Rikku."

"Uh-oh, how many points left?" Rikku asks, looking nervous.

"Forty-seven."

"That's not a whole lot, is it?" Rikku asks. At this point, I'm practically shaking, trying to contain my laughter. It's just too bad for Rikku; she doesn't know that the points don't matter.

"Why don't you figure out how to get in here instead of inside my head?" Paine asks, walking over to the sealed door.

"Maybe we need spheres like that one to open it?" Yuna asks, pointing to the sphere that Paine is still holding.

"It might open if we find them all," Paine says, nodding.

"I kinda still wanna know what happened," Rikku says, and I finally crack up, laughing at Rikku's unwillingness to drop a subject.

"That's forty-six," Paine says, sighing and walking out of the Den of Woe, as we all follow a moment later.

* * *

Next chapter...the official start of the Infiltration mission! This...will be amusing, to say the least. As always, please review!


	9. Chapter 9: It's All How You Look At It

Another day, another chapter...ah well, let's get to the replies, shall we?

Auron's Fan: (cough) Yeah. You're right. This is bad. Very bad. This is a very bad thing for me, ya know?

XxCougarxX: Maybe so, but there's something else. Most of the first chapters of this story will have the dialogue and events from chapters 1 and 2 in game sort of blended. Things happening simultaneously, together,and such.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: I'm gonna maim you, ya?

Iron Reaver: (cough) Quit laughing at me. You're laughing at me.

Fallenone: Hoedowns...hm...(ponders) Anyhow, yeah, I was going to put the Den of Woe bit in. How can you not? It's crucial to storyline later on.

MoombaRave: Oh...I'll be doing more side missions than you think. You must have patience, young grasshopper.

Well...on to the chapter now, I suppose. It's kind of short, but not really.

* * *

Chapter 9—It's All How You Look At It

Running back to the fork in the road, we quickly run along the north path, leading us onto the Djose Highroad. As we turn a corner, we come across two female goons, apparently looking for something. Standing back, we listen in on the conversation.

"That's weird," the first says. "Where did we drop that thing? We gotta find that sphere or the boss'll be furious! We might even...get the heel!"

"Why don't you stop the complaining and help me look?" the second replies, obviously annoyed by the actions of her comrade. As the two run off farther down the road, Yuna turns to all of us.

"Hey, did you hear that? Let's find it first!" she says, beginning to walk off down the road, looking around.

"Someone's turning Yuna into a bad girl," Paine says, looking directly at Rikku.

"Who?" Rikku replies, innocently.

"Gee, I wonder..." I say sarcastically, and Rikku shoots me a glance, rolling her eyes. Chuckling, I set off down the road after Yuna, looking around as well. Looking ahead, I can see Yuna still searching, but she suddenly stops, kneeling down to her right. Walking over, we see Yuna hold up a sphere, a shining pink in color, and turn back to us. Suddenly, Ormi walks up from behind us, and places his hands on his hips.

"So that's where it was! Sorry for the trouble. I appreciate yous finding it for us, though," Ormi says, looking over us.

"Sorry. It's ours now," I say simply, looking over at the burly man.

"What? You're not giving it back?" he asks, a look of genuine shock on his face.

"Nope," I reply.

"The nerve!" he exclaims, as Logos walks up with a female goon beside him; one of the ones from earlier, possibly.

"The Gullwings!" Logos exclaims, drawing his pistols.

"These meanies won't give me back the sphere!" he whines, causing me to smirk.

"So then we take it back," Logos replies, calmly.

"Ah," Ormi says, taking his shield off his back.

"And on that note...take it back!" Logos says, stepping in front of us.

_(Play FFX-2 theme I'll Give You Something Hot)_

"Try," I say, dropping into a fighting stance and drawing my pistols, snapping off a salvo of shots at Logos. The bullets all hit him, and he aims at me, before firing off a rain of shots of his own. All the bullets hit me, forcing me back, as Rikku and Paine double-team Ormi. Yuna seems to be dealing with the Fem-Goon, as I can hear shots coming from her general direction.

"Power Break!" Paine cries, her sword slamming into Ormi's shield, which he then smashes into Paine, sending her stumbling back. Rikku reaches over and grabs something from Ormi's side, before slashing across his chest twice and hopping back. Ormi then starts to spin, before throwing the shield, which slams into Rikku and knocks her to the ground.

"Rikku!" I yell, my attention momentarily diverted.

"Bad idea," Logos says, firing a single shot at me. As the shot hits, I fall to the ground, more power behind the attack than usual. Wincing, I stand back up and spherechange, changing to Warrior quickly, before charging Logos, another shot hitting me as I advance.

"Power Break!" I yell, slashing my sword upwards across his chest. He stumbles back, his strength lowered, as I kick him in the stomach, causing him to double over.

"Take this!" I hear Yuna yell, and I turn just in time to see the Fem-Goon go down, courtesy of what I believe was a Potshot attack from Yuna. Turning back to the fight, I take another rapid burst of shots from Logos, and growl.

"Okay...that's it. I'm taking you out, now," I mutter, sheathing my sword. Charging Logos, he fires at me, but misses this time, as I throw a fist out towards his face. He dodges to the side, and slams me in the stomach with the butt of one of his pistols, causing me to double over a little, just in time to get thrown down by the second pistol's butt slamming into my skull. Stars dancing around my vision, I shake my head and stand up shakily, only to be put back down again by another shot from the pistols.

"Leave him alone!" I hear Rikku yell, and with what little vision I have left at the moment, I can see Rikku blindside Logos, slamming into him with all her strength, then slashing at him furiously. Silently, I thank her and stand up, spherechanging again. This time, as the light clears, I'm dressed in a long, white robe, with an oaken staff in my right hand. A hood is over my head, and I shake my head again, adjusting to the White Mage dressphere quickly.

"Cure!" I yell, sparkles dancing around me as I feel my body heal itself up some. Now looking clearly again, I can see Paine locked in battle with Ormi, Yuna now helping her. The goon that was accompanying the duo is flat on the ground, out cold. Rikku is still keeping Logos off of me, and so I spherechange back to Warrior, running up and rejoining the fight.

"Now you're mine!" I yell, as I run and leap into the air. A flying kick catches the turning Logos in the shoulder, spinning him around as I land in a roll, springing back to my feet and spinning to face him. He raises his pistols to fire, but Rikku knocks them down as he fires, the bullets bouncing off the ground in front of me. Running back up to him, I lash out with my right arm in a blindingly fast cross, dazing the marksman, before my left knee snaps up. As Logos doubles over from the knee to the stomach, I step back, a high kick snapping into his face a moment later and sending him to the ground.

"Nice," Rikku comments, as I hear another sound behind me, Ormi falling to the ground under the combined onslaught of Yuna and Paine.

_(End FFX-2 theme I'll Give You Something Hot)_

"Thanks for keeping him off of me," I reply, nodding to her.

"No problem!" she replies, as Yuna and Paine begin to walk over to the now-awakening goon. Rikku joins them, and I have to stop myself from laughing as the goon wakes up to see two pistols, a sword, and a pair of daggers dangerously close to her face.

"Take off your uniform," Yuna instructs, smiling sweetly. "Please?" The goon's face goes white, and she stands up, quickly obliging the trio of girls. Out of decency, I turn around, a moment later seeing Logos, Ormi, and the goon run off out of the corner of my eye. Turning back around, I see a triumphant looking Yuna holding the goon's uniform in her hand.

"That's one!" she says, smiling. I just shake my head, still a little shocked and amused by her actions.

"Remind me to never have you three interrogate me. Ever," I say, looking over the trio. Paine just smirks, as Yuna begins to lead us all back to the Celsius.

* * *

"One uniform down!" Yuna says, as we re-enter the bridge. Brother turns, and smiles.

"Excellent! Three more to go!" Brother exclaims, and I nod.

"Let's head to the Moonflow next, if that's okay," I suggest, and Brother seems to think for a moment, before nodding.

"Let's go!" he tells Buddy, who nods, the Celsius lifting off and heading towards the Moonflow.

* * *

The Moonflow. I can still remember Tidus' and Auron's small argument here. We never did get to see the sunset. But, times have changed now. People are scattered around the area, looking around, and generally enjoying the peacefulness of the outdoors.

"Hey, this is nice out here," Yuna says, as we arrive.

"What?" Rikku says, turning to her friend.

"People are enjoying nature," she replies. "It's very peaceful."

"Sure is. A lot of people are traveling these days, trying to learn more about Spira," Rikku explains.

"Thanks to you two," Paine adds, looking at myself and Yuna.

"I had nothing to do with it," Yuna says, embarrassed at the compliment. I just remain silent, as Rikku speaks.

"Go on, give yourself a pat on the back!"

A few feet from us, I spy an amusing sight. A short man, dressed in a red outfit, with what appears to be a bird's beak for a mouth. I've seen stranger things, and I recognize the person instantly. Hard to forget him, really. As I walk over, he looks up at me and the others, and smiles.

"On this spot, I'll be sponsoring an extraordinary show! Do, do come! Oh, and I'm Tobli," the small man says, apparently noticing he forgot to introduce himself. "Yup-yup! It will be splendid indeed! Mark my words! People here and there, and merriment everywhere!" Smiling, I look down at Tobli, before beginning to speak.

"Sounds good to me, Tobli. Good luck to you," I say, as Paine and the others begin to walk off. Noticing they're about to leave me, I turn and jog back to them, before Tobli speaks again, stopping us.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! I have a favor to ask of you!"

"Let's go," Paine says, Yuna turning to her.

"Um, okay?" she says, reluctantly. "After all, we're sphere hunters."

"Right-o!" Rikku agrees. No one says anything for a moment, before Yuna sighs, turning back to Tobli.

"Oh, let's hear him out!" she says, and I chuckle at their antics, walking back over to Tobli.

"Oh, here's the thing, you see," he begins. "My able assistant hasn't come back. From Luca, of course. Where else? He went to fetch some supplies, which are vitally, crucially important! For the show, you see!"

"'Go check on him,' right?" Rikku asks, and Tobli nods.

"Oh, quite, quite!"

"Why ask us?" Paine asks, folding her arms in annoyance.

"Because you are sphere hunters and sphere hunters hunt spheres!" Tobli says, pulling out a sphere from one of his pockets.

"That settles it!" Rikku says, and I nod.

"Right, right. It's yours if you return my assistant safely back to safety. I'm thinking he must be over in the general vicinity of Djose Temple. Oh, and he's a Hypello," Tobli explains.

"We'll bring him back, don't worry," I say, beginning to run down the road, everyone else beside me.

* * *

As we come to the end of the road, near the fork that would lead us to either Luca or Djose Temple, we spot a Hypello, with a chocobo hitched to a small wagon.

"Oh, I am in trubabble," the Hypello says, and I nod to the others, walking over to the Hypello.

"You're Tobli's assistant, I take it?" I ask, and the Hypello nods.

"Yesh. Are yoo friends of the chief?" he asks, and I nod.

"We sure are. You just sit back and let the Gullwings escort you back to Tobli," Rikku says, and the Hypello nods, beginning to move the chocobo and wagon down the road. It's not long before we hear movement, and spot a trio of men wielding longswords moving towards the wagon.

"Bandits," I mutter, drawing my sword and preparing to fight. Yuna and Rikku take one of the bandits, Paine taking the second, which leaves me with the third. Ducking under a slash from the man, I kick his ankle, causing him to stumble, before slamming my sword handle upwards into his stomach. The man winces, before I slash him across the chest, sending him to the ground for a moment, before he gets up and runs off. The others follow suit after a moment, and I smirk.

"Too easy," I say, Paine nodding. "Let's get this wagon back to Tobli."

After a few minutes of defending the wagon from bandits, but with little trouble at all, we reach the end of the road. The Hypello moves the wagon beside Tobli, as we approach the small man once again.

"Oh ho ho, you returned!" Tobli says to his assistant, who nods.

"Thanks to these ladies," the Hypello says, and my face scrunches in annoyance.

"Why am I always grouped with the girls..." I mutter, Rikku overhearing and giggling.

"Yup-yup!" Tobli says, turning to Yuna. "Of course, you've been most helpful! With this, the show is just a step away from smashing success! Here, as promised," he tells her, handing over the sphere. "Oh, and take this with you, too," he continues. "For everything you've done." Digging in his pocket for a moment, he pulls out a small circlet, as well as a Garment Grid bracelet, and hands them to Yuna.

"Thank you," she says, and Tobli nods.

"It's such a good fuzzy feeling, meeting reliable people persons such as yourselves. Yessiree," he says, and Yuna smiles.

"You're very welcome!" she replies, Rikku nodding.

"Just remember, it was the Gullwings that helped you out!" she says, as we all head back towards the Celsius once again. Quickly, we climb aboard, as the airship takes off into the sky once again.

* * *

Well, one uniform down, three more to go! Till next time, please read and review!


	10. Chapter 10: Faith

I'm sorry this chapter took longer than normal, I've had an evil case of writer's block for the past week or so. But anyhow...on to the replies, ya?

Auron's Fan: You won't know till that part comes, now will ya? And as for Lady Luck...you'll find out. Suffice it to say...it'll be different.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Hmk.

Iron Reaver: Yes, I have, and I shall ask Mr. Rydell of the Strange Reviews (I rather like that title...) as well.

Anuy Dreamer: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Anuy! Hope you enjoy reading it!

XxCougarxX: I've already got the perfect plot device...I mean, solution, yeah, that's it, solution...to that problem.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Indeed I do.

Well, onward to...the chapter. (dramatic musical cue)

* * *

Chapter 10—Faith

"So, I wonder what this sph..."

"Gun Mage."

The look on Rikku's face as I answer her unfinished question? Priceless.

"...You're beginning to freak me out by doing that, you know," Rikku tells me, causing me to smirk.

"I know. Why do you think I do it?" I reply, chuckling. Rikku just glares at me, and I step back a little in mock terror. "Easy there, killer. Don't want to maim me, you know."

"Or do I..." she says playfully, turning and advancing on me.

"Hey, don't come any closer! I...I know martial arts, you know!" I stammer, as my girlfriend advances on me. Backing away slowly, I suddenly run into something, and feel a pair of arms grab me and pin my arms to my side. Turning my head, I see the smirking face of Paine, and realize that I've just been set up. Grinning, Rikku advances on me, and begins...to tickle me.

"N-No! Stop...stop that! Please, stop!" I yell, laughing hysterically as I'm attacked, if you can call it that, by my girlfriend. After a moment, Paine lets me go, and I fall to my knees, still laughing and trying to catch my breath.

"That...that was cruel and unusual punishment, Rikku!" I say, standing back up and composing myself.

"Well, you earned it!" she retorts, grinning. Sighing, I just decide to admit defeat.

"Alright, alright, I'll quit doing that. You got me," I say, turning to Yuna. "So, where to now? Any ideas on where Leblanc's gang might be?"

"I'm not really sure...any of you know anyplace?" she asks, Paine shaking her head. Rikku looks thoughtful for a moment, before smiling.

"How about Macalania?" she asks, and I nod.

"Not a bad place to start, I guess."

"Fine, then, we're going to Macalania!" Yuna says, as we head into the bridge.

* * *

Macalania Forest. Probably the most beautiful place in all of Spira. The magnificence of the place still astounds me, even though I've been here before. Looking up through the trees, I sigh, staring at the blue sky above. They say that since the fayth of Macalania Temple left, it's been having an effect on the trees of the forest.

"It's so clear...so pretty," I say softly, before being alerted by a shout from Yuna.

"Don't look now, but we've got company!" she yells, turning our attention to a fiend approaching us. It...appears to be a blob. Like the Spherimorph we fought two years ago; this fiend looks almost exactly like it. Taking a battle stance, I realize that this fight won't be very easy.

Quickly, I decide to try out the new sphere we just earned. Spherechanging, I leap into the air as light covers my body. When the light fades away, I'm now garbed in a bluish-purple shirt, with intricate markings and patterns covering it. The sleeves end about halfway between my elbow and my wrist, as well. I'm also wearing a pair of long pants, the same color as the shirt, as well as a pair of shoes, a deep blue in color. In my right hand is a quite interesting looking gun, and I lower the gun to my side, focusing on one of my Gun Mage abilities.

"Scan!" I yell, pointing a hand at the blob. Immediately, information on the creature comes rushing into my mind. It's an Amorphous Gel, and right now, it seems to be focused on lightning element, absorbing it, but making itself weak to water. Dispelling the Scan information, I suddenly get hit by a Thundara attack from the gel, making me twitch as the electricity courses through me. Paine runs in and tries to slash at the creature, but to no avail. The sword moves right through the creature easily, no damage being done.

"Take this!" Yuna yells, a glowing white bullet flying from her gun and striking the Gel, causing it to shiver in pain as the Enchanted Ammo attack hits it.

"Physical attacks don't work!" I yell, and Rikku and Paine nod, quickly spherechanging to Black Mage.

"Water!" A duo of spells from Rikku and Paine fly in and strike the blob, the Gel floating back and collecting energy around it. Suddenly, a Fira attack lances out at Rikku, knocking her to the ground. Another Enchanted Ammo attack strikes the Gel, and I step back, spherechanging into Black Mage as well.

"Blizzard!" I yell, the ice shard impacting the Gel, and causing it to shiver a little. A second Blizzard attack from Paine connects as well, and the fiend spasms, before melting onto the ground and dissipating into pyreflies. Sighing, I spherechange into Gunner, before we regroup.

"Everyone okay?" Yuna asks, and we all nod. "Good, let's start looking!"

* * *

A few minutes later, we've searched most of the woods of Macalania. We now seem to be headed towards the lake, but as we travel along the small path leading towards it, I stop, looking to my right.

"What is it?" Yuna asks, and I point to my right, to show the path that Auron cut through the trees two years ago, leading to the small lake where we found a sphere left by Jecht.

"There," I reply simply, walking down the small path and towards the water. As I round a turn in the path, I can see a figure standing near the water. Silently, we all walk towards the figure, who turns as we approach to reveal Tromell Guado, looking much the same as I remember him.

"Oh, High Summoner Yuna," Tromell says, turning to Yuna and bowing. "Forgive me for the grief I have caused you."

"How have you been?" Yuna asks, smiling.

"Well...with Lord Seymour gone, we Guado are hardly any different than the dead," Tromell replies, sending a shiver down my spine at the mention of the treacherous Seymour.

"Many Ronso lost their lives at the hands of Lord Seymour," Tromell continues. "Those who survived swore vengeance for their fallen comrades. We Guado sealed ourselves away in Guadosalam and strengthened our defenses...but soon we no longer had the strength for even this. Now, we live among the shadows of these woods."

"Tromell..." Yuna trails off, before the Guado continues speaking.

"High Summoner, do not trouble yourself to show sympathy for the Guado. We once walked willingly with Lord Seymour, never questioning, even as he led all Spira into madness. Lady Yuna, I cannot ask that you forgive us...only that you forget us."

"Tromell..." Yuna starts again, before Tromell silences her again, speaking once more, but in a slightly happier tone of voice.

"Ah well, what brings the high summoner to these woods?" he asks, Yuna clasping her hands behind her.

"Well, I'm a sphere hunter now," she replies.

"Hm. A sphere hunter?" Tromell asks, a little surprised at Yuna's response.

"We hunt spheres," Rikku states, to which Tromell simply smiles.

"You don't say...well, then, please allow me to give you this. It is of no use to us," he says, pulling a sphere from his robe and handing it to Yuna, the sphere glowing a dim blue.

"Score!" Rikku exclaims.

"Thank you!" Yuna replies happily, and I smile, as Yuna begins to lead us back towards the airship. As we walk back out onto the main path, however, I can hear yelling. It sounds like it's coming from Rin's Travel Agency.

"Do you guys hear that?" I ask, turning towards the direction of the agency.

"Yeah...it sounds like..."

"Al Bhed..." Rikku finishes for Yuna.

"It doesn't sound very good. I'm going to check it out," I say, running in the direction of the yelling.

"Hey, wait for us!" Yuna yells, chasing after me.

When I arrive at the agency, I'm greeted by the sight of three Al Bhed, two male and one female, standing outside of the front door. They don't sound very happy, either.

"Frana ec ra?" the first man asks, apparently to no one in particular.

"O'aka, kad uid rana!" the second man yells.

"Lusa uid! Nacicdyhla ed videma!" the woman shouts, apparently trying to get O'aka to come out of the shop. A noise behind me catches my attention, and I turn around to see a small man in a hat and green vest, carrying a backpack. I recognize the man as O'aka, as he looks at the four of us, then the three Al Bhed. Yuna goes to say something, but O'aka stops her quickly.

"Shhh! Do O'aka a favor and pretend ye never saw him!" he says, before bolting away, faster than I ever would've thought a man like him could run.

"Come on!" I whisper sharply to the trio of girls, beginning to sprint after O'aka. Despite appearances, O'aka can surely run fast. As we arrive at a small crossroads, we see that O'aka is nowhere to be found.

"He has to be here...I saw him!" Rikku says, before looking around at the area. "O'aka, where are you?" she shouts, and I look around carefully, before spotting something that seems a little out of place.

"That tree...it just shook," I say, pointing at a tree a few meters away. "There's no wind, though, and I don't see any fiends." Carefully, I walk over to the tree, walking around it for a moment, before looking up. There, I see O'aka himself, sitting up in the tree, and I smile. "Gotcha."

"It looks like ye finally caught up with me," O'aka says, dropping down from the tree and brushing himself off. "O'aka, at your service!"

"So, why were you running from the Al Bhed?" Yuna asks, looking over at O'aka.

"I bought the travel agency from Mr. Rin, but then the temple nearby sank to the bottom of the lake," O'aka explains, sighing. "And business sank with it. Just my luck. Now the Al Bhed have come to collect and they're not in the mood for excuses. Think ye could give old O'aka a place to lay low? Hmm? For a while? I'll find a way to make it up to ye, I promise."

"What do you think?" Yuna asks us. I just shrug, Paine doing the same. Rikku just nods, and Yuna turns back to O'aka, nodding.

"Thank ye!" O'aka exclaims, beginning to follow us out of Macalania Forest, and back to the airship.

* * *

Back on board the airship, Yuna turns to us, sighing.

"Well, that went nowhere fast," she says, sounding dejected.

"How about we try...Besaid?" I ask, saying the first thing that comes to my mind.

"Sounds good to me," Paine says, shrugging. Yuna just nods, and heads to the bridge to tell Brother the new destination, as we all head to our rooms.

* * *

A while later, I feel the airship start to land at Besaid, and I get up, stretching and walking to meet up with Yuna and the others. As we walk out near the village, I can see the Aurochs near the entrance, apparently talking amongst themselves. Datto turns as we walk up, waving.

"So, you gave the sphere to the Youth League, ya?" he says, Jassu stepping up next to him.

"Ya, we knew you were on our side!" he says. Yuna looks a little confused by this.

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"The Besaid Aurochs have all joined the Youth League," Datto explains.

"Well, unofficially, at least. And, uh, Wakka hasn't joined up yet," Jassu adds.

"Can't blame him, ya? His kid's popping out any minute, you know. Now's not the time for him to be fussing around with politics."

"Fussing, you say?" a voice says, approaching from within the village. As I look up, I see someone approaching us, with obvious intent and what seems like near-militaristic discipline.. Walking up to all of us, he turns to face the four of us.

"I am Beclem. I've been dispatched to Besaid by Youth League headquarters. I'm here to pound some fight into these pathetic slackers," he explains.

"He's a hundred times stricter than Wakka," Jassu says, and Beclem spins to him.

"You must be awfully confident in your strength if you're skipping training just to flap your lips like that," he says, crossing his arms. "So, I guess you won't mind showing me what you're all really made of, then." The Aurochs just mumble among themselves, and Beclem turns away from them, shaking his head.

"Is no one among you man enough to break my record?" he sneers. "You're pathetic."

"Okay, he's creeping me out," Rikku whispers to Yuna.

"Seriously," she whispers back.

"See you later, Yuna!" Datto says, bowing to Yuna.

"Stop that at once!" Beclem yells, spinning to Datto. "The age of temples and prayers is over. It's about time you let go of those musty old traditions. There's no need to bow down to summoners either. Yes, summoners are a thing of the past." At this, Yuna's expression changes to anger, as well as mine. I don't take too kindly to being insulted like this, nor having my friends insulted as well.

"Hold it right there! Who's Calm do you think this is, buster?" Rikku says, her eyes flashing anger at Beclem.

"You _will _take those words back," she says, glaring at Beclem, who simply smirks.

"I will," he says, nodding, "if you succeed in proving your worth to me. Well, what do you say?"

"You're on, Beclem," she says, and I step forward as well.

"I'm in too. You won't get away with standing there and insulting me that easily. Name your challenge."

"It's simple. Make your way to the beach from here, killing or avoiding any fiends on the way. If you make it there faster than I did, you win. The way you twaddled on before, you had best break my record. Now, begin!" he yells, and I set my stance, sprinting towards the beach and drawing both pistols as I run. Yuna does the same, and we come across a pair of Dingoes on the first stretch. Without missing a beat, Yuna puts two bullets into the first, and I jump into the air, putting two into the second in mid-air and landing on it for good measure, continuing to sprint even as the pyreflies dissipate behind us.

As we make our way to the beach, we're beset by all manner of fiends, even large birds such as Zus. Nothing stays in our way for long, however, as we either blast it clear out of our way, or slow down for a moment and pick them apart. We seem to make good time, and as we hit the beach, we stop. Someone else is there, one of the Aurochs, and as we wave to him, he walks over. As he tells us our time, I smirk. We've beaten Beclem's record by nearly 10 seconds.

"That'll show that poser," I state, and Yuna nods, as we begin to make our way back up to the village.

"Well?" Beclem asks as we arrive.

"You not only lost, you lost _badly._ We beat you by almost ten seconds," I say, smirking. The look on Beclem's face is great, somewhere in between shock and anger.

"Take that!" Rikku exclaims, pointing at Beclem.

"Hm. Skill you may have, but I find it hard to believe that you defeated Sin!" he says, looking at us as we walk over to everyone. "You obviously had some help."

"I did, from my friends. My pilgrimage was successful because my friends and the aeons supported me along the way," Yuna says. "And they still do. Memories of the time we spent together makes me strong. I won't let you stand here and call that strength useless."

"Must your kind always prattle on about your precious memories?" Beclem says.

Before he really even knows what's happening, I send him to the ground with a punch, causing him to rub a little blood away from his now-split lip. Standing over him, I growl, bringing my fist back for another punch.

"Want to see just how useless I really am!" I yell, bringing my fist down. Before I can hit him, however, a strong pair of arms restrains me, pulling me away from Beclem. Glancing back for a moment, I discover it's Paine, and I growl again, trying to struggle out of her grip.

"Let me go, Paine..." I warn, but she holds tight as I start to calm down, my emotions putting themselves back in check once again. Paine seems to see me calm down, and lets me go, as Beclem stands up, wiping blood from his lip. Still glaring at him, I step forward again.

"You think we're useless? You might want to try reminding yourself that we're the reason people like _you _don't have to live in fear of Sin any more. We saved Spira, and you can't even give us respect as a human being for that. Next time you want to call someone useless, instead of picking on those weaker than you, you might want to take a look in a mirror," I spit, turning and walking off towards the airship.

"He's got some nerve," I can hear Rikku say, behind me.

"Sore loser," Paine responds, and the trio catch up to me quickly, all of us stepping back into the airship.

* * *

I enjoyed writing the part at Besaid. I never liked that guy anyway. But, next chapter, the second uniform will be found! Where? You'll have to read to find out! As always, please read and review!


	11. Chapter 11: Premonition

More exposition in this chapter, so I'll get right to it. On to the replies!

Auron's Fan: Tickle me, and I will slaughter you in ways that no one can possibly imagine. (grins)

JV: It'll get even more original later...just you wait.

XxCougarxX: Yeah...that annoyed me. But, oh well. I can hit him again later.

desert-tiger: Everyone seemed to like me punching him.

Iron Reaver: Ah, quit your evil laughter.

asuka-kazama-mishima: Gunner's Gauntlet...is hard, but fun to do. You can beat it, but it takes patience.

MoombaRave: As did everyone.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Goooood...

SS5Matt: Alright, I'll take a look. And thanks for the compliments.

Fallenone: Yeah, you'll see my special dressphere pretty soon, actually. And no...I don't think so, at least.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: It's fine, understandable. And yes...actually, you will see Overdrives later. I never understood how people would just lose the ability to do that after all of 2 years.

Alright, now that that is out of the way, on to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 11—Premonition

"I can't stand him..." I mutter, standing in the hallway between all of our rooms. Rikku just sighs, looking over at me from the door of her room.

"It's been a while since I've seen you that angry. Of course, I really can't blame you," she replies, and I nod.

"He insulted me, as well as Yuna. And, in a way, everyone else that was with us on Yuna's pilgrimage. I wasn't about to let him get away with that."

"I can tell," Paine says, walking up to the two of us.

"Here to talk about my actions too?" I ask, leaning against my doorframe. Paine just shrugs.

"Where are we going now?" Rikku asks Paine.

"I think Yuna said Luca," she replies, and I quirk an eyebrow.

"Why Luca?" I say, looking over at Paine.

"Beats me. Maybe she just wants to go check it out. We haven't been there since we beat up on Leblanc there, after all," Paine replies, walking inside her room and shutting the door behind her.

"I would ask what you three have in common, but I'm not sure I'd like to know the answer," I say, chuckling a little. "She is the complete opposite of you and Yuna."

"Hey, someone has to keep us in check, you know!" Rikku says, smiling.

"I know. All too well," I reply, giving Rikku a quick kiss before heading towards the elevator.

"Where are you going?" she asks, and I turn my head, continuing to walk.

"Training."

"You and your training..." she says, shaking her head. That causes me to stop, and smirk.

"What? You can never be _too _prepared..." I say, chuckling.

"Yeah, yeah...get going, then."

"Oh, now you sound like you _want _me gone," I retort, putting on an expression of mock hurt. I could have some fun with this. The look on Rikku's face as I say that is indescribable.

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that, you know!" she replies, starting to walk towards me.

"I know, I know. I'm just messin' with ya. Catch you later," I say, grinning and walking towards the elevator.

* * *

Arriving in the cargo bay, I quickly spherechange into Warrior, pulling out my sword, and beginning to go through a simple series of slashes. Nothing fancy, just some moves to get loosened up.

"The dresspheres are more complex here than I ever imagined...every time I use one, it's like I immediately know how to do everything relating to that..." I mutter, bringing the sword down in an overhead cleave. "I couldn't shoot straight if I tried, for the most part, yet when I use the Gunner dressphere, I have perfect aim. There's more to it than I thought...one day, I'll have to see how much I can figure out."

Spinning and slashing high, I duck to avoid the imaginary counter-attack, before launching a sweep on my invisible assailant.

"That Beclem...such a jerk...wish Paine hadn't decided to stop me. I would've enjoyed bashing his face in."

"_The anger...it's nice, isn't it?"_

Freezing, I look around, to try and spot the source of the voice that I just heard.

"I must be hearing things...there's no one here but me," I say to myself, dropping into a defensive position out of instinct.

"_You should embrace the rage...use it to feed your power, as I do."_

"...Now I know I'm hearing things," I mutter, before suddenly realizing something. The voice isn't from around me...it's from inside my mind. It sounds oddly familiar, too, but I just can't place it.

"_You're too foolish to realize the true power you hold. All the anger you have...and yet, you're afraid to wield it as your own strength." _

My mind does loops, trying to place the sound of the voice I'm hearing, before it suddenly snaps into place. My eyes narrow, as I utter one word silently.

"Shuyin."

"_Who else?" _he says, sarcastically.

"I should've known it was you. But, how are you even talking to me? You're supposed to be..."

"_Dead? You're more dense than I thought. Look down."_

As I do, my eyes fall upon the sword in my hand. Shuyin's sword. Mentally, I smack myself for not catching the blatantly obvious.

"Stupid question, I guess."

"_Very stupid."_

"You didn't have to agree," I say, my eye almost twitching now. I had thought he was infuriating, but in person...somewhat, he's more irritating than I imagined. "So, what in the world could you possibly want with me? If I'm so stupid, that is," I ask him, sighing.

"_It would be too easy if I told you, now wouldn't it?" _he replies, and I growl.

"Out with it, already, you jerk." I can hear Shuyin's laughter in my mind, and that just serves to annoy me farther.

"_Like I said, that would be far too easy. I'd prefer to let you...stew in it a while, as the saying goes."_ If I could see Shuyin's face right now, I'd be willing to bet all the Gil I have right now that he's smirking. A minute of silence from the both of us follows Shuyin's words, before I finally speak up again.

"When I finally find you, I'm gonna enjoy kicking your tail, you know."

"_You can try." _

As I somewhat feel Shuyin's voice leave me, I relax a little, sheathing my sword and shifting to Gunner. The experience was more than a little disturbing.

"Now I remember just _how much _I hate that guy..." I say, walking over and punching a crate, now in somewhat of a bad mood. Sighing and trying to calm down, I walk out of the cargo bay, my training session completely disrupted now.

"Hey, we're almost to Luca!" Rikku says, apparently headed to the bridge, as I step out of the elevator and walk towards my room.

"I'll be right with you guys...er, girls," I say, before Rikku stops me.

"What's wrong? Something's up, I can tell. Spill it."

"It's nothing, Rikku. I'll meet you up on the bridge," I say, walking away and into my room before she can say anything else.

"Voices in my head...what's the world coming to..." I mutter, walking over and sitting down on the bed for a moment. "Then again, it's Spira. Enough said." A moment later, I can feel the airship begin to land, and I stand up again, headed towards the exit of the Celsius.

* * *

Almost immediately after we step out of the Celsius, a few people run towards us.

"Lady Yuna, your concert was incredible!" one man says.

"Would you sign this, please?" a younger boy asks, handing Yuna a picture of some sort and a pen. Yuna, looking a little nervous from all the attention, simply smiles and signs the picture, handing it back to the boy. Talking amongst themselves for a moment, the people smile back at Yuna, before running off.

"Someone's popular," I say, looking at Yuna with a slight grin. Yuna just sighs, looking at the people walking away.

"I couldn't bring myself to tell them it was just an imposter..." she says, looking over at me. "The whole mess started with the Garment Grid..."

"So, this little thing was the cause of all that trouble?" I ask, pointing at my Garment Grid bracelet. Yuna nods in response.

"Leblanc stole it from us, along with the Songstress dressphere. She used it to pose as me. The plan was to sneak into the imposter's concert and recover the Garment Grid. If I went in, our cover would be blown, so it was up to Rikku and Paine. Which left me with nothing to do but lay low and wait. And that's how I got stuck with the Gullwing's prized...garment."

"Garment?" I ask, inwardly laughing.

"A moogle suit. I had to wear it while I was here, so no one would recognize me. I complained, but Brothers' orders are still orders."

"You really missed a lot, Yunie!" Rikku exclaims, as we walk towards the square. "The place was packed with people dancing!"

"Think Leblanc was enjoying herself?" Yuna asks.

"Until she got hurt," Paine says, smirking a little.

"Yeah, it was pretty funny to watch Paine just...effortlessly take her out," I add, chuckling.

"I hadn't heard from Rikku or Paine, so I didn't know what to do...I just ran to the docks and hid, really. Or, really, tried to hide..." she says, shrugging a little. "Rikku sure was having fun."

"She did seem to be having a bit too much fun with that," I say, Rikku giving me a playful shove.

"It _was _fun! I was just about to finish 'em off, but then _you _showed up and stole all the fun," she says, pointing at Yuna, who just giggles.

"I guess I was so glad to get out of that thing that I went a little nuts," Yuna replies.

"That explains the dancing," Paine says, smiling a little. As we come down the stairs leading to the square, I suddenly stop, intrigued and amused by the sight that I see.

"Hey, look..." I say, pointing towards the square. Following my gaze, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine look towards the square, where two sphere cameras are set up. And who is holding a microphone but Shelinda, standing there like a television reporter. As we approach, the cameras start to roll, and Shelinda starts to speak.

"Hello, and good afternoon, Luca! This is Shelinda, bringing you all the latest news from throughout Spira. These days, everyone's talking about the groups battling throughout Spira for control of the spheres. Let's start with the Youth League. From its leader Meyvn Nooj on down, their ranks are made up mostly of former Crusaders. Fresh off the attack on Kilika Temple, the Youth League is sending shockwaves throughout Spira. Pairing off against them is none other than New Yevon. All eyes were on them after the New Yevon chairman's sudden resignation. Chaos seemed inevitable. But their newly appointed leader, Praetor Baralai, has held them together with utmost finesse. Another group turning a lot of heads is the Machine Faction, an Al Bhed organization. They've managed to distance themselves from the sphere struggle embroiling Spira. But their unmatched technological prowess could well be enough to dramatically shift the balance of power. And let's not forget the Leblanc Syndicate, the gang with a style all its own. Headquartered at Chateau Leblanc in Guadosalam, its agents span the globe. But lately, there's one group in particular that's been drawing all kinds of attention. That's right, the only group led by a high summoner, the Gullwings! And now, here's today's special guest! High Summoner Yuna!" As Shelinda finishes, she turns to Yuna, who looks quite a bit startled.

"Huh?" she says, out of surprise, as Paine pushes her forward.

"Break a leg," Paine tells her, and I have to keep myself from laughing as the cameras turn back on, now with Yuna standing next to Shelinda.

"Lady Yuna, your concert the other day was nothing short of spectacular!" Shelinda says, Yuna giving somewhat of a nod in response.

"Well, it was sort of me up there, but not exactly..." Yuna says, a bit nervously.

"Puzzling words, to be sure. And speaking of puzzling, why the sudden career change to sphere hunting? It sounds like you caused quite a stir with that disappearing act you pulled on Besaid."

"And I'm very sorry about that," she replies, nodding.

"Rumor has it you left the island looking for clues about a certain young man. Anything you can share with us?" Shelinda asks.

"That's right," Yuna says.

"So, tell us about him," Shelinda continues.

"It's a long story."

"I'm sure it is! One can only imagine the fascinating tales that led to you becoming the leader of the Gullwings." As Shelinda finishes speaking, three figures step near the camera. I resist the urge to groan as I see Brother, Buddy, and Shinra standing beside the camera.

"Hold it right there! I'm the leader. Me! Gullwings! We rock you!" Brother says, getting in front of the camera.

"Whoa! This thing on?" Buddy says, peering in from the right side of the camera as Brother moves, to be replaced by Shinra.

"It's taping two morons right now," Shinra says, looking the camera over. "This is just a toy compared to the things I've invented."

"Tell us, is it true that the Gullwings have thrown their support behind the Youth League?" Shelinda asks Brother, who backs away from the camera to stand on Shelinda's left, Buddy and Shinra joining him.

"That statement is...kind of true. But not really! No!" Brother says, Buddy cutting in a moment later.

"Uh, we don't wanna get caught up in other people's problems."

"So many questions left to ask, but I'm afraid we're out of time," Shelinda says, turning back to the camera. "Our thanks to today's guests, High Summoner Yuna and the Gullwings!" As the camera shuts off, I can see Yuna breathe a sigh of relief.

"Not bad," Paine says, as we all walk over to Yuna.

"You should have joined in, too," she replies, and Paine shrugs.

"It was more fun watching."

"Lady Yuna, great interview," Shelinda says, cutting in and turning to Yuna. "Thank you so much for helping me out. This isn't much, but consider it a token of my gratitude." Reaching into a pocket, Shelinda pulls out a Garment Grid, handing it to Yuna. Nodding, Yuna takes it, as Rikku looks over at Shelinda.

"So, how long you been doing this?" she asks.

"Well, after the Calm came, the temples were in decline," Shelinda explains. "At first, I thought the best thing I could do would be to help the temples get back on their feet. But everyone just ordered me around. I got tired of it."

"You couldn't just tell them 'no'?" Yuna asks.

"That's the part of me I wanted to change!" Shelinda says. "I made up my mind to leave the temple and come here to Luca. They needed people for this, and they asked me to help...so, here I am."

"Another job you were 'asked' to do?" Paine says, folding her arms.

"I suppose nothing about me has really changed at all," she replies."

"You aren't bad at it. You're pretty good at being a reporter," I say, hoping to cheer her up a little. Shelinda gives a short nod, before suddenly seeming to snap back into reality.

"I gotta run! My next assignment is about to start. See you later, Lady Yuna!" she says, before walking off quickly.

"She complains, but you can tell she enjoys it," Paine says, looking over at us.

"Sounds a bit like Yunie, don't you think?" Rikku says, teasing Yuna.

"Really?" Yuna asks, causing me to chuckle.

"Dr. P, care to give us your opinion?" Rikku says, speaking in an official sounding tone as we walk over near a table and chairs, sitting down.

"The hardest person to know is yourself," Paine says, looking over at Yuna.

"Hey, cut that out!" Yuna retorts, causing Rikku to giggle.

"Hey, while we're here, should we get some food?" I ask. "I'm kinda hungry..."

"You had to say something, didn't you..." Rikku says, looking over at me.

"Well, I am!" I reply, looking around. Spying a food stand of a sort over near the other side of the square, I stand up, starting to walk over to it. "What do you three want?" I ask, turning back to them.

"Burgers?" Yuna asks, and the other two shrug. "Burgers it is," Yuna says, turning back to me.

"Alright, back in a minute," I tell her, walking over to the stand and ordering. Paying the man, I stand around for a minute, before he hands me my order. Taking it, I walk back over to the table, setting the burgers down. As everyone begins to eat, I turn to Yuna.

"So, where should we go next?" I ask, Yuna swallowing the piece of burger she was eating before speaking.

"We haven't been to Bikanel Desert yet...and I bet Rikku would like to go back."

"Good idea...and if you think about it, it's a desert. Maybe Leblanc's gang will be out there digging for spheres...and you know what that means," I reply, grinning.

"Another uniform," Paine states, and I nod.

"Yeah. That'll leave us with 2 to grab, one if we're lucky, none if we're really lucky. Of course, my luck's not very good, so..." I trail off, chuckling. Yuna giggles a little, and Paine smiles, Rikku shaking her head.

"Maybe we should leave you on the Celsius?" she suggests, grinning.

"Now that's just cruel. You know I like action."

"That's the point!" she exclaims, and I laugh, causing her to start laughing as well.

"So, where did Brother, Buddy, and Shinra get off to, anyway?" I ask.

"I think they went back to the Celsius," Yuna says, finishing the last of her burger.

"Should we go ahead and leave, then?" I ask her, Yuna shrugging in reply.

"I don't see why not," she says, standing up. All of us stand up at that, and begin to walk back to the Celsius.

* * *

So, what's the deal with Shuyin? And what will the group find in Bikanel Desert? As always, please review!


	12. Chapter 12: Buried Treasure

Well, on to yet another mission! But first, the replies!

Fallen Angel-2009: Intriguing. That's the word.

MoombaRave: Oh noez! Shuyin! The voices, they're talking to you!

Auron's Fan: Hehe, no he isn't.

Iron Reaver: I see. Good work scaring Logos, too. I never liked the guy.

XxCougarxX: (cough) Never know what I might let slip.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Leblanc is quite annoying...

Asuka-Kazama-Mishima-Doo san: I'm calling you AKM from now on. It's shorter. But anyway. Shuyin's...well, a ghost. You can't hit him. Unless you're on the Farplane yourself...ooh. Idea. (runs off)

Shadowkiller27: It's actually supposed to be quite weird. It's one of those things that just isn't supposed to make sense JUST yet...and leave Shadow alone. He's cool.

Zexion72: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Zexion! Hope you enjoy the story, and thanks.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Oh noez! The shadow isn't watching Shuyin!

(cough) Anyway. On to Bikanel Desert! (grumbles something about 'too much sand')

* * *

Chapter 12—Buried Treasure

"So, we're going to Bikanel Desert?" Buddy asks, causing Yuna to nod.

"That's right."

"Alright, I'll have us there soon. Just sit back," he replies, and turns back to the controls, the Celsius beginning to lift off.

"Sand, sand, and a little more sand. This should be fun," I say, looking over at everyone. "Rikku, you and I wanna go it alone?" I ask, which causes Rikku and Yuna to turn to me.

"Why just you two?" Yuna asks.

"Well, it's Rikku's home, after all. And, hey, you guys deserve a break. I know I can handle myself, but I'll feel better if Rikku's out there with me." Seemingly thinking for a moment, Rikku nods.

"Alright, I'll go," she replies, and Yuna nods.

"Okay. But if anything happens, let us know. We'll be there," Yuna tells us.

"No problem," I reply, walking out of the bridge. As I walk along the corridor towards the elevator, I suddenly stop, as a cold chill moves over my body for a moment, before passing.

"...Something bad is gonna happen...and soon," I mutter, the words out of my mouth almost before I realize I said anything. Stepping inside the elevator, I head back to the floor where my room is, before stepping outside the elevator and into my room. Walking inside, I shut the door behind me and sit down on the bed, rifling through my pack. Quickly, I notice that I still have quite a large amount of Gil, but almost no Potions and other items.

"Need to make a point of restocking the next time we go to Luca," I say to myself, beginning to try and organize the jumbled mess inside the pack. As meticulous as I am when doing things, somehow, it never ends up very organized.

"Hey, we're about to reach Bikanel!" Rikku yells, from outside my door. Quickly, I shut the pack, standing up and stepping outside the door.

"Ready?" I ask, and she nods.

"Always," she replies, grinning.

"That's good. Let's get going, then," I tell her, and we start to head towards the exit of the Celsius, as it flies over Bikanel Desert.

* * *

"Neat."

That's the only word out of my mouth as I look around the camp at Bikanel Desert. Hovers and people are everywhere, scurrying around like ants inside an anthill, while others are unloading boxes from the backs of other hovers. Apparently, things they've found while digging.

"Should we ask him?" Rikku says, pointing to a tall man who looks to be someone in charge.

"Ask him what?"

"If he's seen anyone around, of course!"

Shrugging, I start to walk over to the man, Rikku right beside me. Tapping him on the shoulder, I step back a little as he turns to me.

"Fryd ec ed?" the man asks, somewhat gruffly.

"Fa fyhd du ghuf ev oui'ja caah yhouha...cicbeleuic ynuiht mydamo," I reply, and the man crosses his arms.

"Lyh'd cyo dryd E ryja. Pid, ev oui fyhd du ku uid drana yht caa vun ouincamv, ku du Djose Temple. Oui'mm haat bansecceuh vnus drana du tek," he says, and I nod.

"Dryhg oui," I tell him, nodding, as Rikku and I turn to walk off.

"Looks like we going to Djose," she says, and I nod.

"Hey, we need permission to dig. No other choice, really. Let's just hope that if Leblanc and her goons _are_ here, that they're having to go through the same," I say, smirking.

"Yep!" she replies cheerfully, as we step back on board the Celsius.

* * *

"So? Find anything?" Yuna asks, as we walk into the bridge.

"We need to go to Djose Temple. We have to get permission to dig from there," I tell her, shrugging.

"Guess we're headed to the temple, then..." she says, nodding to Buddy, who also nods, turning back to the console in front of him.

* * *

Djose Temple. The place where I earned my first aeon. Two years ago, the temple of Djose was almost deserted, with only one or two people around, and a few more in the temple. Now, there are far more people here, apparently all looking for the same thing we are. As Rikku and I step out of the Celsius, most of the people turn, and start to stare. Stopping for a moment, I look around, before turning to Rikku.

"Being a high summoner _does_ have its bad points, I guess...like being noticed."

"You're famous. Better get used to it," Rikku replies, and I shrug.

"Guess you're right," I reply, sighing.

"Maybe you're getting old," she tells me, giggling. Spinning to her, I frown, quirking an eyebrow.

"Who's getting old?" I ask, causing her to laugh harder. "We're the same age!" I reply, almost on the verge of laughing myself. As Rikku finally starts to calm down, someone walks up from behind us, going past us, before stopping at the door of the temple. It appears to be a guy about my age, with blond hair sticking up in spikes, as well as an eyepatch over his right eye. He's wearing a light bluish-purple shirt and purple pair of pants, with patches of red fabric over the shoulders.

"That's Gippal, leader of the Machine Faction," Rikku explains. "He can be kind of annoying, but he's all right."

"Old friends?" I ask, and she smiles a little.

"Could say that," she replies.

Turning, Gippal talks to one of the guards at the entrance to the temple, before turning back to the crowd.

"Okay, let's do some interviews! Bring it!" he says loudly, waving his hand towards the inside of the temple, before walking inside himself.

"Guess we go wait in line, then," I tell Rikku, pointing over to a small hut near the temple, where a long line is standing. Walking over, we get in line, and begin to wait.

"How much longer..." Rikku whines, about 5 minutes having passed since we got in line.

"Just be patient, Rikku. Rome wasn't built in a day," I tell her.

"Huh?" she asks.

"It's a saying from my world. Means that nothing was ever done quickly. It always took time," I explain, and she nods a little. Finally, the last person steps out of the building, allowing us to step inside.

"You here for an interview?" the man asks, and I nod. "Alright, go inside the temple there." Nodding quickly, I step out of the hut, Rikku behind me.

"We waited 5 minutes for _that_?" Rikku hisses, and I chuckle.

"Yep. Sure did," I tell her, walking up to the guards. Nodding, they step aside, allowing us into the temple.

As we step inside, we see Gippal talking with another Al Bhed. Placing his hand on his hip, Gippal sighs.

"E ryja ymnayto ehdanjeafat people. Uha uv oui kioc dyga ujan," he tells the guy, turning away and beginning to walk towards the back of the temple. The man he was talking to turns, seeing us, before turning back to Gippal.

"Gippal!" he says, causing him to stop and turn, looking at the two of us.

"Yo," I say, simply, Gippal walking up to us.

"You, uh, here for an interview?" he says, after a moment.

"Yeah," I reply. Gippal seems in a little bit of disbelief at this.

"The great high summoner wants an interview?" he asks again, and I nod.

"Is there a problem?" I ask.

"Hm. All right, follow me," Gippal says, walking out of the temple. Quickly, we follow Gippal, as he walks off from the temple, standing on a small bridge.

"So, the infamous Gippal, leader of the Machine Faction. Nice to meet you," I say, Gippal looking over at me.

"And you're one of the high summoners that defeated Sin...Ben, was it?" he asks, and I nod.

"That's me." Gippal's gaze turns from me to Rikku, as his eyes suddenly light up.

"Well, if it isn't Cid's girl. How you been?" he asks, and I chuckle a little.

"Hey, I have a name!" Rikku replies, with a tone of mock hurt in her voice. Gippal just smiles.

"Heh. Brother doin' okay?" he asks, and Rikku nods.

"Same as ever. Buddy's around too," she says, and Gippal nods.

"Same as ever is right," he says, turning to the both of us. "You sure you wanna dig? Cause we're talking about the desert. Not exactly a picnic."

"Would we be asking if we weren't sure?" I reply, and Gippal chuckles.

"All right, you're hired. Welcome."

"That simple?" I ask, and he nods.

"You. Are. Hired. Don't know why a superstar like you would want to play in the sand," he says, looking at me and shaking his head. "Well, do what you gotta do. Anyways, I've done what I can. Dig to your heart's content."

"Thanks," I say simply, and he nods again.

"Show this letter to a woman named Nhadala. You'll find her at Bikanel Desert," he tells us, handing me a letter which I quickly pocket.

"Alright. Let's go, Rikku," I say, walking back towards the Celsius. Rikku gives one last wave to Gippal, before following.

* * *

"Back to Bikanel Desert, Buddy. We've got what we came for here," I say, upon entering the bridge again. Buddy just nods, the Celsius lifting off a moment later.

"Sure is a lot of running around..." Yuna says, and I shrug.

"Comes with the job, I guess."

"What do you mean?" Yuna asks. Yawning a little, I lean against the railing of the stairs. Hadn't realized how annoyingly tired I am.

"Well, think about it. They can't just let any and everybody in to dig, right? If you have to go through something like this, I guess it ensures that only the people who really want to dig will get to dig."

"You've got a point..." Rikku says. "Sure is annoying."

"Of course. That's the key to it all," I reply, stretching. "I'm ready for some action. It's too quiet. That bothers me."

"Would've figured you would enjoy the quiet," Paine says, smirking.

"She's got you there!" Rikku says, as I remain silent.

"I'll concede the point," I finally say, chuckling a little.

"We're coming up on Bikanel," Buddy says, turning to look at us from his chair.

"Alright. Ready when you are," I say, nodding to Rikku.

"Let's go, then," she replies, heading towards the exit happily.

* * *

Exiting the Celsius once again, and stepping back into the digging camp at Bikanel Desert, I notice that the man that I talked to last time is nowhere to be found. And as far as I can see, I can't seem to find anyone that appears to be in charge.

"See anyone that looks like Nhadala?" I ask Rikku, who shakes her head.

"Not really..."

Sighing, I step over to a man standing in front of a hoverfoil. I may as well ask someone.

"Excuse me. Is Nhadala around, by any chance?" I ask, to which the man shakes his head.

"She went off on one of the hovers. She should be back any moment now."

"Alright. Thanks," I reply, stepping back over to Rikku. "Look like we'll be waiting a minute, then."

"I don't think so," Rikku says, pointing. Following her gaze, I turn to see a hover approaching, driven by a woman in a pair of goggles. As the hover stops, the woman gets out, talking with one of her workers for a moment, before walking over to us.

"I'm busy, so make it fast, okay? I've got lots to excavate and no one to do it," she says, and I nod, pulling the letter from my pocket and handing it over to her. Skimming it for a moment, she looks back up at me.

"Oh, so you're the new guys?" she asks, and Rikku nods.

"That's us!" she says, and I nod as well.

"Nice to meet you, Nhadala."

"Hmm. I guess the high summoner's hard up, too. Well, don't be expecting any special treatment," she says, and I nod.

"Never do." As I start to walk away, Nhadala stops me, and I turn back to her.

"Actually...before you start digging, I'd like you two to check something out for me. Go check out the oasis. Some strange stuff's been washing up there lately. I'd appreciate it if you'd look into it," she says, and I nod.

"Alright," I reply.

"Talk to the pilot over there. He'll take you where you need to go," she tells us, before walking off.

"Well, let's get to it, then," I mutter, walking over to the pilot.

"Ah, the new guys," the pilot says as we approach. "Where can I take ya?"

"We need to go to the oasis. Nhadala wants us to check it out," I tell the man, who nods.

"I heard there've been some weird folks hanging around the oasis. Better make sure you're ready before heading out there," he says, and I nod.

"We're ready."

"Alright then, climb on," he tells us, stepping into the pilot's seat. Rikku and I jump onto the hover, as the man takes off towards the oasis.

A few minutes later, the hover slows down and stops, near a small pond in the desert. A tree or two stands over the pond, giving some shade, as well as some rocks nearby. Stepping off the hover, I walk over to the pond, kneeling down and looking at the water. For all the sand out here, the water is clear, almost crystal clear.

"Hey, look at this," Rikku says, causing me to look over at her.

"What?" I ask, before noticing that she's holding an orange colored sphere in her hand.

"A sphere, all the way out here," she says, and I shrug.

"Ours now." As I look around, I suddenly stop, scowling and tensing at the sight in front of me.

"Well, fancy meeting you here," Logos says, both guns in hand. Two female goons stand beside him, as well. "You can lead a Gullwing to water, but you can't make it drink!"

"Umm?" Rikku says, looking over at me.

"Say, nice uniforms they have there," I say, an evil grin spreading across my face as I spherechange to Warrior and draw my sword.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Logos shouts, the goons rushing us quickly.

_(Play FF9 theme Hunter's Chance)_

"You hold them off! Logos is mine!" I shout to Rikku, who nods, drawing her daggers and meeting the goons' advance.

"You didn't do so well the last time we fought," Logos taunts, and I glare.

"I'll remedy that, rest assured," I reply, leveling my sword into almost a fencing stance. "Come on!"

"With pleasure!" he shouts, firing rapidly at me, the Trigger Happy attack bouncing off my sword blade partially as I bring it up to block, but still hitting me.

"Power Break!" I yell, running and jumping into the air, my sword coming down hard across his chest, before he shoots me from nearly point blank range. The bullet smashes into me, causing me to wince as blood starts to trickle down my chest.

"Ice Brand!" The ice elemental attack cuts a line across Logos' chest, before I step back, taking a moment to gather my thoughts. Another Trigger Happy attack flies at me, and I roll along the sandy ground, evading the shots by mere inches. Flipping back to my feet, I bring the sword above me, before slashing out and charging, the blade now pointing behind me. Spinning quickly, I bring the sword around, flipping the blade back over as I do so. The blade barely misses Logos, who ducks under the attack.

"Too slow!" he yells, before firing once at me. The bullet connects, and I can feel my vision cloud up as a result of his Russian Roulette attack. Growling, I spherechange to White Mage, gripping my staff tightly.

"Esuna!" I yell, the magic restoring my vision. Turning, I see Rikku fighting off an advance from one goon, the other now unconscious on the ground. Quickly, I point my staff at her and cast a Cure spell, before spherechanging back to Warrior. As I turn back to Logos, I'm met with another Trigger Happy attack, which causes me to stumble back.

"When did these guys get so tough..." I mutter, dodging out of the way of another shot and charging. Quickly, I swing the sword across, the flat of the blade moving like a bat and connecting with Logos' shoulder, causing him to drop one of his pistols. Before he can grab it, I lash my left leg out in a snap kick, catching him in the stomach and making him wince. As he steps back from the blow, I kick the pistol away, before leveling the sword at him again.

"Not so easy this time, is it?" I taunt, smirking.

"Indeed," he replies, firing again. The bullet catches me in the shoulder, and I can feel my ability to cast magic become blocked, the Silence taking hold. Gripping my sword tightly, I run at him again, the blade bursting into fire this time.

"Flametongue!" As I bring the sword down, Logos attempts to block with his pistol, but fails, the pistol being shoved out of the way as the strike knocks him back into the ground. Sparing a quick glance at Rikku, I can see one goon running off, the other slowly regaining consciousness, but apparently in no shape to fight.

_(End FF9 theme Hunter's Chance)_

"Had enough?" I ask, sheathing my sword as Logos gets to his feet.

"You haven't seen the last of us!" he shouts, grabbing his pistols quickly and running off.

"Of course not," I mutter, walking over to Rikku. "You okay?"

"I'm okay...but you look like you could be better," she replies. Wincing, I spherechange to White Mage again and cast a Cure spell on myself, feeling the wounds from the fight heal over, before shifting back to Gunner.

"There," I reply. Smiling, I watch Rikku walk over to the goon, and point both of her daggers into the goon's face. The goon quickly stands up, and begins to strip off her uniform, as Rikku just stands there. I watch in amusement as Rikku grabs the goon's uniform, sending the goon running with a gesture.

"Done?" I ask, still laughing.

"Yep!" she says, smiling. Looking over, I suddenly realize that the hover pilot has been watching the entire time, and is now looking at us with a dumbfounded expression.

"What?" I ask, as if all of this was perfectly normal to us, before climbing back on the hover. "Take us back to camp, please. I believe we've found what Nhadala thought was wrong here." Shaking his head, the hover pilot starts the machine up as Rikku jumps on, turning around and heading back to the camp.

* * *

As we arrive, I quickly spot Nhadala on the far side of the camp, and leap off the hover as it comes to a stop. Rikku follows, and together we walk over to Nhadala.

"So? Did you find anything?" she asks, and I nod.

"Three people were at the oasis. They gave us a little trouble, but we sent 'em running," I reply, and she nods.

"Good work. Here, take this for your troubles," she says, handing me a thousand Gil, along with an Elixir. "Oh, and take this, too. I found it, but I don't have any use for it," she adds, handing Rikku a Garment Grid.

"Thank you," I reply, beginning to head back to the Celsius.

"That was interesting!" Rikku says, and I chuckle.

"Well, I said I wanted action..." I trail off, Rikku rolling her eyes at me as we step back into the Celsius.

* * *

So, where's next on this little world tour of Spira? You'll have to keep reading to find out! As always, please review! 


	13. Chapter 13: Frigid Discoveries

Ah...starting back to college. Such fun. Yeah, right. Anyhow, on to the replies!

Zexion72: Thank you for the compliment, I appreciate it.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: ...Sure.

Auron's Fan: Well...Logos isn't really known for comments that make sense, is he?

AKM: Lenna will make another appearance very soon. Just wait.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Thanks.

AnuyDreamer: Thanks.

Shadowkiller27: I shall try, but college has now restarted. Which will put a cramp in my writing, I believe. And that's quite a few characters...Oo

Iron Reaver: Already discussed that Al Bhed thing. And don't worry...the plan will go off.

XxCougarxX: Right here, actually. And the mini game...you'll have to see.

Snare646: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Snare! I'll agree with you wholeheartedly there, I do not write quite as much romance as I would like. I'll try and remedy that, though.

Remco: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Remco! And you can see the above review to Snare for my feelings on that.

Well, then, on to the chapter, I suppose!

* * *

Chapter 13—Frigid Discoveries

"Did you guys find anything interesting?" Yuna asks, and I shrug.

"What's your definition of 'interesting'?" I reply, and Rikku holds up the guard's uniform, now somewhat folded, as I step down the small stairs of the bridge.

"Two down, two more to go!" Rikku says, and I laugh, amused by my girlfriend's antics.

"So, where would they be now?" Paine asks, causing me to shrug.

"Search me." Suddenly, Yuna's eyes light up, as she smiles.

"We should go see Kimahri!" she exclaims, and my eyes widen, as my face takes on a grin.

"That's right...I haven't seen him since I left you guys. And, we didn't see him the first time we went to Gagazet, either." Nodding, Rikku smiles.

"Yeah! So, let's go see the big lug already!" she exclaims, and I laugh again, starting to step out of the bridge. With all this cheer, I think I might pop with happiness if I stay around too long.

"Hey, wait up!" Rikku's voice from behind me stops me, and I turn to face her.

"What is it?" I ask, and she walks over to stand next to me.

"What, I can't talk to my boyfriend now?" she says, grinning.

"Funny," I say, chuckling, before stopping, a serious expression coming over my face. "But, really, you're right...when have we ever gotten to have any time to ourselves?" I ask.

"Not a whole lot..." Rikku trails off, and I nod.

"Yeah. So, I've got a solution. Meet me in the cabin, tonight. It'll be just the two of us."

"Sounds good," she says, and I smile. Without another word, I pull her into a kiss, treasuring the rare moment of solitude we're having. After a moment, I break the kiss, stepping into the elevator.

"See you then," I say, smiling, as the doors close, taking me to the deck.

* * *

"Perhaps, I truly have found happiness..." I mutter, feeling the wind surround me as I stand on the deck. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a small object, staring at it with a faint smile. A small pendant, a shimmering white in color, now rests in my hand. The pendant is carved into the shape of a small ice crystal, and I smile, remembering the origins of the item. It was a gift from a friend, given to me when I graduated from high school. I've always kept it with me, as a sort of good-luck charm, as well as a lasting memory of our friendship, no matter what might happen. Smiling, I take the pendant, looping it around my neck to let it dangle down to my chest.

"For all the times I've had, and those I have yet to come. No matter what happens, I'll treasure them. The moments, the feelings, the good and the bad times...laugh as though you'll live forever, live as if you'll die tomorrow."

Sighing, I smile, remembering the friends I left back home, before noticing the towering peak of Mount Gagazet off in the distance. Turning, I quickly walk back inside, taking the elevator back down.

* * *

Mount Gagazet. Probably the coldest place on Spira. After all, it is a mountain. So, as Yuna and Rikku already know, I feel right at home in the climate, loving cold places. Paine just gives me a slightly strange look, having not really bothered to pay attention to my reactions the last time we were here, but says nothing. As we approach the beginning of the trail up the mountain, I see Kimahri, talking with a number of other Ronso. Kimahri looks over, seeing us, and says something, the other Ronso scattering quickly. Stepping over to us, Kimahri's expression shifts slightly, somewhat of a smile for the Ronso.

"Hey, Kimahri. Good to see you again," I say, and the Ronso nods.

"Kimahri!" Yuna exclaims, walking up to her old friend and guardian.

"Yuna look well. Kimahri glad," Kimahri replies, and I smile.

"How you been, Kimahri?" Rikku asks, looking up at the taller Ronso. "What's it like being an elder?"

"Elder's job difficult. Kimahri troubled," he responds, looking around at the Ronso around him, who are seemingly talking among themselves. After a moment, he turns back to Yuna, speaking again. "Kimahri sorry."

"Sorry about what?" Yuna replies, confused.

"Kimahri look for sphere for Yuna. But Kimahri find nothing. Kimahri disappoint Yuna," he replies, looking a little ashamed of himself, though it's hard to tell Ronso feelings.

"It's all right, Kimahri," Yuna says, trying to console her friend. "Of course, I'm happy that you tried to help, but Yuna has to deal with Yuna problems."

"Kimahri search mountain one time," he explains, shifting his gaze to the top of the mountain. "But still one place Kimahri not look. Fayth Scar rises high on mountain," he says, pointing upwards, towards the peak. "Scar is sacred ground which Ronso not tread."

"Might still be some spheres up there," Paine says, glancing up at the mountain.

"Summoners no longer climb mountain. Now only sphere hunters come," Kimahri continues. "Kimahri worry hunters defile sacred ground."

"Do you think it's Leblanc and her goons?" Rikku asks.

"Who else would it be?" I ask, sarcastically. Rikku just frowns, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Maybe we should check. Is that okay?" Yuna asks Kimahri, who nods.

"Kimahri trust Yuna. Kimahri not worry." Nodding, Yuna turns to us, and motions for us to come on. Looking around, I quickly notice a device of some sort, near the start of the trail up the mountain.

"Check this out," I say, walking over to the device and kneeling down.

"What...is it?" Yuna asks, looking down at the object. It's a square sheet of some sort of metal, about 2 and a half feet wide on any side, and decorated by strange markings.

"Hm...I think...I think it's a sort of teleportation pad. Think about it. Zanarkand is very close to here, right? They were quite advanced in technology...who's to say they didn't discover teleportation back then, before they were destroyed?" I reply, shrugging. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine look a little skeptical at the idea, and I look over at them for a moment, before stepping onto the pad.

"Okay. Let's see if this works," I say, taking a deep breath, and focusing on where I want to go. "Fayth Scar," I mutter, and suddenly, with a flash of light, I find myself standing alone at the beginning of what appears to be the Scar itself. Sharp peaks surround me, as well as tall cliff faces. Another bright flash, and Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are behind me, looking about as startled as I was. The sensation is weird, but I somewhat expected that, after taking portals to and from Spira several times now.

"See anything?" Rikku asks, after the trio shake off the strange feeling from using the device.

"Must be up ahead," Yuna answers, and I nod, starting to walk a little farther ahead. As we do, we find our path ahead blocked by a large gap in the path, easily too wide for us to leap. My eyes scan around, and finally fall on the cliff face next to us.

"You mean we're supposed to climb this?" Rikku whines, and my face scrunches a little. I don't exactly want to climb this myself.

"No wonder the Ronso never come here," Paine comments.

"Look!" Yuna exclaims, seeing one of Leblanc's goons climbing up the cliff. Our eyes follow the goon, as she climbs for a minute, reaching the top quickly and walking out of our range of sight. Shrugging, I jump onto a small piece of rock, and begin to work my way up, everyone else doing the same. It takes a minute for us to make our way up, but finally we reach the top. Looking around, we notice a small cave entrance, and shrug, walking inside. The sight there makes me smile a little. Below us, two goons are in a hot spring, their uniforms off and lying on the ground beside the spring.

'_Makes our job all the easier...' _I think, as one of the goons starts talking to the other, the both of them beginning to step out of the hot spring.

"That water felt great! Can you believe there's a hot spring in a place like this?" she tells her comrade, who simply shrugs.

"But isn't this supposed to be sacred Ronso ground?" she asks, sounding a bit nervous. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..."

"What? You think some Ronso boogie man is gonna come get you?" she says, almost scoffing at her partner. "Better that than the boss, know what I mean?" Suddenly, who walks in but Ormi, looking as obnoxious as ever.

"Hey! You two been slacking off?" he asks, seeing the duo out of their uniforms and back in normal clothes.

"No, we were, uh, getting ready for duty," the first goon stammers. "Just trying to, uh, rejuvenate, sir."

My amusement at their situation is quickly put to a stop by a cracking noise. Looking down, I give a short cry along with Yuna, Rikku, and Paine as the rock platform we're watching from falls, crumbling on the ground below us. Landing on our feet unsteadily, we quickly try to regain our balance. Ormi and the two goons seem to panic upon seeing us, fleeing the cavern. Apparently, they know they're outmatched.

"What's this?" Yuna says, looking down at the pool of water.

"A hot spring?" Rikku says, and I also examine the water, Paine watching the direction that Ormi fled to.

"Were those Leblanc's goons?" she asks, and I nod.

"Look! They forgot something!" Rikku says, pointing to the two uniforms, still lying on the ground. Blinking, I shrug, stepping over to them and grabbing them, beginning to fold them somewhat. As I start to fold one, though, I feel a slight bulge, and reach into one of the pockets. Withdrawing my hand, I pull out an icy blue colored sphere, which glows faintly in my hand.

'_Huh...that's weird. A sphere. Didn't expect to find one here...' _I think, turning back to folding the uniforms after pocketing the sphere.

"That was easy enough," I mutter, before stopping. "Wait. 3, 4...oh, you've got to be kidding." My mind suddenly goes from amusement to somewhat horrified, as I now realize the situation I'm in. "If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all," I mutter, and Yuna and the others giggle, apparently now realizing the same thing I have. Sighing, I walk back to the others, the uniforms now about half folded and still lying on the ground. Yuna eyes the hot spring for a moment, before turning to us.

"Well, as long as we're here..." she trails off, looking back to the hot spring.

"On sacred ground?" Rikku asks, understanding what Yuna means.

"No one's looking," Paine replies, shrugging.

"Paine's got a point, I guess," I say, walking over to the spring and dipping my hand in it, feeling the warm water wash over my palm. "It does feel quite nice." Yuna, Rikku, and Paine look at each other for a minute, sharing some silent discussion, before they all start to take off their clothes, revealing bathing suits underneath.

"You girls come prepared for anything, don't you?" I say, feeling my face go a little red.

"Yep!" Rikku says, before they all jump into the hot spring. Shrugging, I take my shirt off, tossing it to the ground, before diving into the spring, water going everywhere from my entrance.

"Hey, watch it!" Yuna says, and I chuckle.

"What? If you don't want to get wet, little late now!" I say, smirking. Sighing, Yuna just elects to lean back against the side of the spring contently.

"This feels great," she says softly. Rikku suddenly gets a devious smile on her face, looking around at all of us.

"Hmm...what have we here?" she says, smiling slyly.

"What?" Yuna asks, and Rikku shrugs.

"Hmm...whatever. I know who's got it goin' on!" she says.

"Excuse me!" Yuna says, slightly shocked. Rikku just continues to grin, moving towards Paine.

"Stay away!" Paine says, backing away from the advancing Rikku.

"Who-hoa!" she says, stopping quickly and holding her hands up.

"Wanna get hurt?" Paine asks, causing Rikku to turn to Yuna.

"You should check out Paine?" she asks, and Paine stands up quickly from her position in the spring.

"Hurt time!" she says, moving towards Rikku.

"You want some?" Rikku says, standing up and beginning to play fight with Paine. Chuckling, I choose to simply watch the scene unfold.

"Ooh! Let me help!" Yuna says, grabbing Rikku from behind quickly.

"Where were we?" Paine asks, moving towards Rikku again. Rikku tries to struggle out of Yuna's grip, but can't.

"I didn't mean it!" she says, trying to escape.

"Too late!" Paine and Yuna exclaim, and for the first time, I think I actually see Paine having fun. Stifling laughter, I move to the other side of the spring, letting the trio have their fun. Suddenly, their fight is interrupted by a transmission from Brother.

"Yuna, what's all the noise?"

"Just taking a little dip," she replies.

"E meddma dip!" Brother exclaims. "Code pink! I'll be there right now!" Immediately following Brother's sentence, a loud thud resonates though the transmitter, and Yuna's face turns concerned.

"Brother?"

"Don't worry, I knocked him out," Buddy replies, and I laugh.

"Maybe we should get out," Rikku replies. "I'm getting all pruney!"

"I really needed that," Yuna replies, nodding and climbing out of the spring. The three of us follow suit, quickly changing back into our clothes, as Rikku gives a small smile at me.

"Like what you saw?" she asks me, and I simply smile, beginning to whistle with feigned innocence. Rikku bursts out in laughter, and I quickly follow, before the moment is quickly interrupted by the same two goons from before.

"We'll be taking those uniforms back!" the first yells, and the second nods.

"If we lose 'em, Leblanc will give us the heel!" the other yells, and they drop into fighting stances. I don't even bother to take a stance, as Yuna pulls her guns, Rikku and Paine also pulling their weapons. The goons advance, and are nearly immediately knocked back by a duo of shots from Yuna, a quick slash from Paine, and another duo of attacks from Rikku. Standing straight, the first goon casts a Fire spell on Paine, who flinches a little, but is otherwise fine.

"Leave us alone!" Yuna yells, beginning to use her Trigger Happy attack, bullets showering one of the goons and sending her to the ground. Rikku charges the remaining one, and slams her to the ground as well with a series of fast attacks. Wincing, the two goons get up and run off, not wanting to stay any longer.

"Think we should get out of here now?" I ask, and everyone nods, beginning to head back to the teleport pad. The climb back down is relatively easy, but as we reach the bottom, who is standing near the teleport pad but Ormi, looking quite annoyed.

"Lousy Gullwings!" he exclaims, grabbing his shield from his back. "Falling down on people like that. Gave me a little surprise, that's all."

"For a little surprise, you sure took a while to come back," Paine retorts, and I smirk.

"Who asked you!" he yells, now angered by the comment. Stepping forward, I drop into an offensive stance, grabbing my sword from my back quickly. I feel a little strange, almost like a new power is within me, but I can't use it for some reason. Shaking the feeling off, I charge Ormi, bringing the sword down in an overhead cleave that bounces off the shield.

_(Play FFX-2 theme I'll Give You Something Hot)_

"Have to do better than that!" Ormi taunts, before throwing the shield at me, the spinning weapon slamming into my stomach and throwing me to the ground, the wind knocked out of me. Standing back up slowly, trying to regain my breath, I hurl myself to the right just in time to move out of the way of a shield bash. Running in again, my sword starts to glow white, as I lunge out with a jab.

"Ice Brand!" I cry, the tip of the sword jabbing towards Ormi, and connecting slightly with his side, a burst of frost hitting him and causing him to step back. "Better?"

"Not even close!" he retorts, beginning to spin quickly, before letting the shield go at me. Ducking quickly, I begin to advance on him again, before I'm slammed in the back with the shield, throwing me forward and onto the ground. "What's the matter?" he taunts. "Losing your edge?"

Standing up again, I sheathe my sword, spherechanging quickly to Gunner and drawing both pistols. Aiming quickly, I unleash a burst of shots at Ormi, before running to a different position and firing again. The Trigger Happy attack simply pings off the shield, but as he drops it, my Potshot attack connects, sending him back another step.

"Why, you..." he mutters, throwing the shield out at me again. I fire at it, hoping to knock it off course, but end up having to duck anyway, this time turning around to dodge it again before it returns to Ormi. As I take a breather for a moment, I notice that the strange feeling I felt earlier is a little more pronounced since I spherechanged to Gunner.

'_Could that be...wait. It has to...' _I think, a broad smile working its way across my face.

"What are you smiling about?" Ormi says, and I chuckle.

"You're just about to find out," I retort, quickly spherechanging to Thief. Before he can react, I charge him, stealing a gem of some sort from his pocket, before pocketing it and beginning to spherechange again. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are staring at me in slight confusion at my hit and run tactics, as I finish spherechanging into Black Mage.

"Fire!" I yell, casting the magic on Ormi, who grunts in pain, but doesn't seem very hurt. Running up to me, he delivers a hand shield bash that sends me back yet again. Wincing, I spherechange quickly to White Mage, and raise my staff into the air.

"Cure!" I cry, the magic washing over me and healing some of my wounds, before I lower the staff, and spherechange for a _fifth_ time, this time ending up in my final equipped dressphere, Gun Mage.

"Are you done yet?" Ormi asks, apparently thoroughly annoyed at me now. Smiling an almost sickeningly sweet smile, I shake my head.

"I still have one more trick up my sleeve," I reply, my smile changing to a smirk as I spherechange once again. But this time is quite different. A bright, ice blue light surrounds me as I jump into the air, the light seemingly melding itself to my body. A bright burst of light follows, and I land back on the ground, now dressed quite differently from my Gun Mage dressphere. Now, I'm wearing a white, long sleeved shirt, with a pair of long pants, light blue in color with a white stripe down the outside of each leg. A set of blue-colored chain mail armor is worn over the shirt, and a pair of daggers are in sheaths attached to either side of my waist. A second set of daggers are in leg sheaths, and a pair of katana sheaths are strapped to my back in an x-pattern.

"My final dressphere. Blade Knight. Now, I'm done," I say, the smirk still on my face as I draw both of my new swords. My hunch had been correct. The energy I had been feeling was actually the new power from my special dressphere. I just hadn't recognized what it was until I spherechanged, and felt the power grow slightly more prominent. Unfortunately, my strength is waning, and so I realize that I either need to end this quickly, or bluff my way out. Fortunately, the latter should be relatively easy.

"You..." Ormi stutters, obviously at a loss for words.

"Something to say?" I ask, before setting a stance. "Too bad. Renzokuken!" I yell, charging Ormi with blinding speed and landing seven slashes across his body, only one bouncing off the shield. Falling to a knee, Ormi stares at me with mute shock as I step back, trying to keep my face level.

"Had enough? Or do you want me to go all out on you?" I say, hoping Ormi won't call my bluff.

"...I'll be back!" he yells, standing up and running off quickly. Apparently, he decided a tactical retreat was in order. Sighing, I shift back to my normal Warrior, falling to my knees and breathing heavily. I also didn't realize that using a special dressphere took that much out of you.

_(End FFX-2 theme I'll Give You Something Hot)_

"Are you okay?" Yuna asks, walking over to me. Taking a few deep breaths, I stand up, nodding.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Definitely a new experience there..." I reply, as Brother comes in over the comlink.

"This is Brother! How is everything?"

"Mission accomplished!" Yuna replies. "We found ourselves two more uniforms."

"Roger! We're on our way!" he says, and from our position on Gagazet, we can see the Celsius lift off, heading towards us quickly. After a minute, the airship hovers over us, dropping a rope ladder that we climb up quickly.

* * *

The rest of the day is remarkably uneventful, for a change. Everyone seems to just wander around, talking to each other and generally seeming to relax. As night falls, I stare out the window of my room for a moment, staring at the rising moon, before beginning to head to the cabin to meet Rikku.

"Hey," she says, as I enter the cabin. Smiling, I walk over, sitting down next to her.

"Hey there. How are you feeling?" I ask, giving her a quick kiss.

"Fine," she replies, smiling. "So, we finally get some alone time, huh?"

"Yep. You have no idea how hard it was to convince Barkeep to leave for a while. I thought I was going to have to drag him out!" I say, chuckling a little. Rikku also starts to laugh, and I sigh, shaking my head a little. "As funny as it seems, I still can't quite picture Yuna as the type to be doing this. No matter how much she's changed. And I've seen that for myself."

"Well, Yunie's been hanging around me too long, I guess!" Rikku says, and I nod.

"That _has_ to be it, huh?" I say, grinning. Rikku nods, grinning back at me.

"So, why hasn't Paine changed any?" I ask, Rikku shrugging in response.

"Paine's just...Paine. She just doesn't know how to have fun."

"She'd hurt you if she knew you said that, too," I reply, and Rikku gives me a little shove.

"Hey!" she retorts. "No she wouldn't! She knows it's true!"

"Doesn't mean she still wouldn't hurt you for it. I think she got you pretty good today in the hot spring," I say, smiling as I remember the antics of my friends.

"Okay, you got me there. But that still doesn't mean anything!" she says, and I laugh.

"Alright, alright." Conceding the point, I look around, enjoying the silence for a moment, before Rikku speaks again.

"What's it like, in your world?" she asks, and I quirk an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Is it like here, in Spira, or is it completely different?" she says, causing me to lower my head in thought for a moment.

"It's a lot different, but still somewhat the same," I reply, a little unsure of exactly how to respond.

"Do you miss being home?" she asks. The one question I'd been asking myself the entire time I'd been here. Sighing, I stay silent for a moment, before finally answering.

"That's...a tough question, Rikku. Back home...I have my family, or what's left of them, my friends...but I don't really have any sort of life I care to lead. Here, in Spira, I've got friends who I consider family, and it's really fun being able to travel and go on all sorts of adventures...but I still miss my home. No matter how much I like being here, there's always a part of me that remembers where I came from, and I don't ever want to forget that."

"I thought you'd say that...you're easier to read than Yunie, you know?" she says, and my face takes on an expression of shock.

"Say what?" I ask, and Rikku giggles.

"You're easy to read. I can tell almost what you're going to say before _you _even say it!" she says.

"Now, is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

"You tell me," she retorts, and I shrug.

"I dunno," I say, Rikku saying the exact words I do at the exact same time. "...That's not funny, you know." That just causes Rikku to break into laughter.

"Yes, it is!" she retorts, and I just sigh, laughing along with her.

"You're impossible," I say, standing up from my seat and moving over to her. "I think I'm gonna go to bed, I'm pretty tired."

"Yeah, I'm kinda tired too," she replies, and I smile, beginning to walk out of the cabin with her. Stopping at the door, I pull her into a kiss, Rikku holding me close. Rikku finally breaks the kiss, and we head for the elevator, smiling.

"Night," she says, and I smile back at her.

"Night," I reply. "I better go find Barkeep, or he'll throw a fit!" Rikku laughs, and I sigh. The elevator starts to move, Rikku stepping off and heading to her room after a minute as I just watch, the doors closing behind her and leaving me alone once again.

* * *

This chapter was both incredibly fun, and incredibly hard to write at parts. Still, I hope you guys enjoyed it. As always, please review!


	14. Chapter 14: No Honor Among Thieves

Well, another day, another chapter. And more college work, but that's another story. Anyhow, on to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Stop that. It's annoying.

Auron's Fan: Uh huh. And actually, I did go into the hot springs. Need to read more carefully, hehe.

Zexion72: Thank you.

Iron Reaver: (sweatdrops)

Snare646: Man, someone likes speculation...hehe. You'll find out, but I will say that you're on the right track. And you'll see what you wish to see, all too soon...

XxCougarxX: I'm gonna hurt you now. Thanks.

Remco: Yes, poor, poor me. Oh well.

AKM-Doo san:Well,romance isn't exactly my strong point, in my opinion. I like suspense a lot better, really. So,of course it'll be harder for me to write it.

Shadowkiller29: Poor you. Red, make sure he doesn't die, hmkay?

Well, now, on to the mission!

* * *

Chapter 14—No Honor Among Thieves

The next morning, I awake to find one of the uniforms that we stole from Leblanc's gang lying over the back of a chair in my room. Cringing a little at the sight, I yawn as there's a knock at the door.

"Yeah?" I ask, Rikku's happy face staring back at me.

"Better get dressed! We're headed to Guadosalam now! We're gonna get our sphere back!" she says, and I yawn again, before nodding.

"Alright, alright...it's too early for this," I mutter, looking over at the uniform and shaking my head. Rikku just laughs, easily noticing my annoyance and discomfort.

"Aw, come on! It won't be _that _bad..." Rikku says, and I scrunch my face up in disgust.

"Speak for yourself. You're a girl." Rikku just laughs again, nodding.

"Point taken," she says, before turning. "I'll see you on the bridge, okay?" she tells me, and I nod, before she walks off. Sighing, I shut the door behind me, and think for a moment, before smiling.

"Well. If they're going to laugh at me...I'll just have to laugh at myself too," I say, beginning to change into the uniform.

* * *

A minute or two later, I leave my room, walking into the elevator and heading to the bridge. The uniform is a little tight, which makes it somewhat uncomfortable, but it doesn't bother me too much. As the doors open, I can hear faint talking in the bridge, mostly things about Guadosalam and Leblanc's gang. Sighing, I step into the bridge, as all eyes turn to me. Yuna's eyes go wide, as do Paine's, and Rikku just stands there with a large grin on her face. Brother and Buddy are speechless, but I can't tell what Shinra's expression is, due to the helmet.

"What? Is there a problem?" I say, raising the pitch of my voice to make it sound more feminine. That causes Rikku to burst into a fit of laughter, as Yuna finally finds her voice again.

"...No, no problem...just...you..." she says, stifling laughter of her own. Smiling, I simply walk over, standing beside the three of them.

"What? You don't like the uniform?" I ask, and that finally makes Yuna lose it, collapsing into giggles. Paine just shakes her head.

"You're having fun with this, I see," she tells me, smiling a little, and I shrug.

"Well, it's either laugh at this myself, along with everyone else, or feel uncomfortable the entire time. I'd rather laugh, myself," I reply, and Paine just nods, as Rikku and Yuna finally stop laughing. "Are you two finished?" I ask, changing my voice again, and they both nod, again looking like they'll start laughing again at any moment.

"We're off to Chateau Leblanc!" Rikku exclaims, Paine nodding.

"Let's settle the score," she says, and I nod in agreement as well.

"No one steals from us," I state, as the airship begins to descend.

* * *

_(Play FFX-2 theme Infiltration)_

Stepping out of the Celsius, we enter Guadosalam as the airship lifts off again, so as not to blow our cover. Stepping into the city, we're greeted with a few looks, but nothing more. Seeing goons in and out must be relatively normal to the people of Guadosalam now.

"I hope this works," Yuna whispers.

"Worry after we're caught," Paine replies.

"_If _we're caught, you mean," I say, trying to be positive. "Let's just get in there, get the sphere, and get out. Faster we do it, the better off we'll be."

"Right," Yuna says, as we approach Chateau Leblanc. One goon is standing guard outside, looking somewhat distracted. Seeing us, he snaps to attention.

"Huh?" he asks, looking over the four of us.

"Reporting for duty!" Yuna and Rikku say, snapping off a quick salute of some sort.

"Th-thanks?" the guard stammers, and we nod, walking inside.

"Another smashing success!" Rikku says, the front doors closing behind us.

"We're not done yet," Paine reminds her. "Where's the sphere?" Suddenly, a door in front of us open, and we move to the side as Leblanc and Nooj walk out, stopping and beginning to speak near the front doors.

"Thank you, Leblanc," he says, and Leblanc seems to blush some.

"Anything for you, love," she replies, Nooj turning to the front doors.

"Now I finally know the location of Vegnagun. Spira is in for a rough ride. Take care," he says, and Leblanc nods.

"Yes, love," she replies, as Nooj walks out the front doors. As the doors close, Leblanc sighs, shaking her head.

"Oh, how long must we be apart? These days without you aren't easy on me, love," she says, sounding quite depressed, before walking upstairs and stepping into a room. Looking around quickly, I look at the trio of girls, before speaking, still disguising my voice in case someone is listening.

"Where to now?" I ask, everyone looking around for a moment, before Yuna begins to walk towards a door to our left. Following, we all step inside, seeing that the room is a large living and dining room. A large table in the center of the room holds a great amount of food, and I look around to see Logos and Ormi stand up from a couch, walking towards us while talking to each other.

"The boss is a different person when that Nooj guy shows up, huh?" Ormi asks Logos, who nods.

"Suppressing her natural charm and acting like some housewife...she must be tense," Logos replies, before looking over at Yuna. "You, go to the boss's chamber and tend to your duties. Yuna looks a little confused at this.

"What...duties?" she asks, tentatively.

"You know, use your talents to help her...unwind," Ormi replies, before the two of them walk out. Sharing a quick glance to us, Yuna follows them out, leaving Paine, Rikku, and I alone in the living room. Looking around at the room, I walk over to the table, grabbing an orange and tossing it up and down for a moment.

"Food, anyone?" I say, smiling, before peeling the orange some and taking a bite. Rikku and Paine look at each other, before shrugging and stepping over to join me. Sighing, I walk over and sit down on the couch, taking another bite out of the fruit. Rikku and Paine step over and sit down on another part of the couch, as we take a moment to relax and temporarily forget about our situation.

A couple minutes later, Yuna steps in, heading to the back of the room. The three of us get up and follow, as Yuna examines the wall for a moment. Pulling a small panel up, she reveals a button set into the wall.

"What does it do?" she asks, before pressing the button. A picture on the middle of the wall moves up on its own, but other than that, nothing happens. Rikku looks annoyed, and walks up to the wall, beginning to hit and kick it.

"Huh? That's it? What a letdown!" she exclaims, before the wall suddenly creaks, spinning around and sending her tumbling down a small slope.

"Rikku!" Yuna and I exclaim, running down the slope quickly, to find Rikku sitting at the bottom.

"Whose idea was that?" she moans, getting up, as Paine steps down behind us.

"Take it up with the boss," she says, and Yuna turns to her.

"Boss?" she asks.

"Ah?" Paine says, before realizing what she just said and shaking her head. "I've had this thing on too long. Let's change," she says, and all three of us nod, beginning to strip the uniforms off. Glad to be out of the outfit, I toss the uniform aside, stretching for a moment, as Yuna begins to walk down the corridor. All of us follow, but before we get very far, the comlink cuts into the silence.

"This is Brother! How's it going?" he asks, a bit loud, and Rikku shushes him quickly through the comlink.

"Be quiet! This is a covert operation!" she hisses. "Over and out."

"Rikku! How dare you speak to your leader like that!" Brother says, and Rikku starts to clench her fists.

"Ooh! Shut up, already!" she says, before footsteps come from behind us. Spinning, we come face to face with Ormi.

"Hrm? Who's there?" he says, before getting a good look at us and jerking back. "Ah! The Gullwings!" he exclaims, grabbing his shield quickly.

"Uh-oh!" Yuna exclaims, drawing her pistols, as we all draw our weapons.

_(End FFX-2 theme Infiltration, play FFX-2 theme I'll Give You Something Hot)_

"How'd you get in here?" he yells, running at Paine and attempting to hit her with his shield, but missing.

"Wouldn't you like to know!" I retort, my sword leaping high for a horizontal slash that clangs off the shield. Before Ormi can react, though, Rikku is in front of him, slashing twice quickly across his stomach before jumping back. Paine charges in next, her sword sparking with electricity.

"Thunder Blade!" she yells, bringing the sword down. The blade crashes into the shield, and Ormi cries out in pain as the electricity travels through the shield into him, causing him to step back. A volley of bullets fly in next, courtesy of Yuna, which cause the wounded Ormi to stumble back even more. Looking between all of us, Ormi apparently realizes he doesn't stand a chance alone.

"You'll be sorry!" he yells, running off the way he came quickly.

_(End FFX-2 theme I'll Give You Something Hot)_

"Well, least he has _some _sense," I mutter, chuckling a little.

"Come on," Yuna says, moving towards a room at the end of the hallway. Quickly, we follow her to the door, and into the room. It appears to be Logos' and Ormi's room, from the looks of things. The trio begins to search the room, and after a minute, Rikku holds up a sphere.

"Hey! This isn't the sphere they stole, is it?" she asks, and I shake my head.

"They stole the half-sphere we found at Zanarkand," I reply, all of us moving over to her.

"Let's watch it," Yuna suggests, and Rikku nods, turning the sphere on. As it begins playing, it's apparent that the sphere is being used as a camera, and from the looks of things, near the aftermath of a battle. Bodies are strewn everywhere, and the sphere-camera moves over several of them, as Ormi's voice comes over the sphere.

"Let's see. Total survivors of the final Crimson Squad selection exercise: zero, zilch, and zipall. Job done," he says, Logos' voice cutting in a moment after.

"You pinhead. Did you even count?" he says, before continuing. "Look. There are bodies missing. There should be three more candidates and their recorder."

"Uh, your point?" Ormi retorts.

"Three plus one makes how many?" he asks, Ormi remaining silent. "Four still live. Fix it."

"Figures," Ormi mutters, before another man's voice cuts in.

"Did you say something?" the man says, Logos' voice seeming to jump slightly at the sound.

"No, sir! Pay him no mind," Logos says, as the sphere shuts itself off.

"It's a dud," Paine says, as the door opens, Logos and Ormi stepping in with weapons drawn.

"Only naughty girls would scrounge through other people's bedrooms," Logos says, as all of us draw our weapons and tense, expecting another fight.

"What about you?" Rikku retorts. "You're the ones who broke into _our _airship!"

"The boss's orders are permission enough!" Logos replies, and I see a chance to attack, rushing the both of them and knocking them back into the hallway, giving us a little more room to fight in.

_(Play FFX-2 theme I'll Give You Something Hot)_

"You want another round, I see!" I yell at Ormi, who just grunts, throwing his shield at me. The shield flies over me as I duck, grabbing my sword and standing back up as the shield flies back to him. Paine and I both charge in, my sword glowing with dark energy as her sword glows with white.

"Demi Sword!"

"Excalibur!"

My attack connects with Ormi, causing him to grunt as the dark energy saps his strength, while Paine's slash strikes Logos, sending him stumbling back from the holy attack. Rikku spherechanges to Gunner, while Yuna spherechanges to Black Mage, raising her staff.

"Fire!" she yells, the spell slamming into Ormi and sending him back a step. Rikku grabs her pistols, using a Trigger Happy attack on Logos, who retaliates by firing once at Rikku, the Russian Roulette attack inflicting poison on Rikku, who starts to cough. Quickly, I spherechange to Black Mage as well, grabbing my staff and aiming at Logos.

"Blizzard!" The ice spell hits Logos, distracting him just enough for Yuna to cast a Thunder spell, the bolt staggering him and making him drop one of his pistols. Suddenly, the shield goes flying by my head, a little too close for comfort. Looking over, I see a staggering Ormi, and Paine standing there with an angry look on her face. Apparently, she knocked Ormi off balance while he was aiming at me.

"Oh, you want to use cheap shots, do you..." I mutter, about to attack. Before I can cast a spell, however, a pink glow from near me catches my attention. Turning, I see Yuna spherechanging, and a grin works its way across my face. As the light dims, I see Yuna floating in the air, now dressed in a white, bikini-like outfit. A large, flowing, multicolored dress fans out behind her, resembling flower petals, which completes her Floral Fallal dressphere.

Stepping back, I watch as Yuna looks Logos and Ormi over before gesturing at them, two small beams of energy flying from her and striking the duo, one to each of them.

"Ice Whirl!" she cries, pointing a palm at the two of them, as a chain of Blizzard attacks go off in their faces, causing them to stagger back, Logos tripping and falling to the floor.

"We...we gotta tell the boss!" Ormi yells, running off quickly. Logos stands up and follows him, as Yuna sighs, spherechanging back to Gunner.

_(End FFX-2 theme I'll Give You Something Hot)_

"Nice," I say, spherechanging back to Warrior, Rikku also spherechanging back to her normal Thief outfit.

"Thanks," Yuna replies, looking over at me. "Is that how you felt, back on Gagazet?" she asks, and I think for a moment, before nodding.

"I felt some kind of energy, waiting to be released. But, I couldn't figure out just how to do it, until I spherechanged," I reply.

"That's about how I felt," Yuna says, nodding back at me.

"Hate to break up this little talk of yours, but we need to find that sphere," Paine states, crossing her arms.

"Oh, yeah, right. Sorry," I say, looking around, before beginning to walk towards a side hall. The hall turns to the left, and then again to the left, leading us down a long, narrow hallway. Another door is at the end, and I stop, thinking for a moment. "Must be some kind of storage room," I say, and Yuna nods.

"Let's go trash it!" Rikku yells, and I shrug.

"Works for me," I reply, grinning, as we all run towards the door. Opening the door and walking in, my suspicions are somewhat confirmed. There are a lot of random things in here, boxes and bags of spheres, weapons, and other things. Quickly, we begin to search the place. After a moment, both Rikku and Paine stand up, looking triumphant.

"Found it!"

"Found it."

"Huh?" Yuna asks, obviously confused by both Rikku and Paine stating the same thing at once.

"Now I get it," Paine says, looking at the half of the broken sphere she's holding, along with the other half that Rikku has. "I was wondering why they'd bother stealing half a broken sphere."

"Of course! They already had the other half!" Rikku exclaims.

"Very good, loves," Leblanc's voice says, and I turn to see her, as well as Logos and Ormi, standing outside the door. "I went through a lot of trouble gathering those pieces. All for Noojie-Woojie," she continues, pointing at us. "So don't you lay a finger on it! Let's get 'em, boys!"

"Yes, boss!" Logos and Ormi reply, drawing their weapons yet again, Leblanc grabbing her fan as well.

_(Play FFX-2 theme I'll Give You Something Hot)_

"You three are beginning to get on my nerves," I say, grabbing my sword, Yuna and the others drawing their weapons as well. "So, let's settle this for good." Running towards them, they back out to allow us out into the hall, before Logos fires at us, the shots hitting Yuna and causing her to wince. Glaring, she snaps off a retaliating pair of shots, Rikku running in and slashing Leblanc as well. Leblanc slaps Rikku across the face with her fan, disorienting her for a moment, before slashing back at her, causing Rikku to step back.

"Flametongue!" Paine yells, running in and slashing up at Ormi, a burst of fire hitting him in the chest.

"Let's get 'em, boys!" Leblanc yells, and Ormi grins.

"Finally, our practice is going to pay off!" he replies, and Logos turns to look at him.

"Practice? What practice?" he says, Ormi just shaking his head, before Leblanc begins to concentrate. Suddenly, Leblanc whips her fan out, as wind starts to pick up around us, throwing us into the air, as Logos begins to fire shots into the makeshift tornado that we're now trapped in. Wincing from the shots, we fall out of the air, hitting the ground hard, before Ormi leaps into the air and lands in the middle of us, causing a shockwave to toss us around again, hurting us even further.

"Man...that really hurt..." I mutter, getting back to my feet and grabbing a potion, drinking it quickly. Everyone else does the same, Paine spherechanging to Black Mage now, and aiming her staff at Leblanc.

"Thunder!" she cries, a bolt of lightning striking Leblanc and causing her to step back. Quickly, I spherechange to Black Mage also, aiming at Ormi.

"Blizzard!" The ice spell connects with the shield, giving me just enough time to catch my breath again. Suddenly, a bullet hits me, and I can feel my ability to cast spells become nullified. Growling, I spherechange back to Warrior, grabbing my sword again. A yellow light from behind me catches my attention, though, and I turn to see Paine spherechanging. The light dims to reveal Paine, now in the garb of some sort of mechanical bird. Metallic, wing-like appendages stretch from her back, and some sort of armor covers most of her body, as she stands tall in her Full Throttle dressphere.

"Aestus!" she cries, charging Logos and slashing once, a large burst of fire exploding in his face and sending him stumbling back. Smiling, I see a chance to tip the odds in our favor, and call on my special dressphere as well, an icy-blue light covering me. After a moment, I step forward, hands reaching to my side, before calling out my attack.

"Blade Fury!"

Snapping my hands up, I begin to make throwing motions, as dozens of throwing knives storm out, stabbing and slashing at Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi. The three of them wince as my attack stops, Ormi quickly throwing his shield at me. Having no time to get out of the way, the shield hits me in the chest, knocking me to the ground.

"Take this!" Yuna cries, a Trigger Happy attack distracting Ormi, Rikku also running in and slashing him across the chest as well.

"Winterkill!" Paine yells, slashing at Leblanc, who vainly tries to block with her fan. The talons on Paine's arms rip through the fan with ease, a burst of ice knocking Leblanc to the ground. Standing back up, I prepare to attack again, before seeing Yuna knock Logos to the ground with a well-aimed attack. The trio make no move to attack again, stepping backwards instead. Sighing, I spherechange back to my normal Warrior, Paine also shifting back to Warrior as Rikku and Yuna approach the three of them.

_(End FFX-2 theme I'll Give You Something Hot)_

"Well? Want another helping of your just desserts?" Rikku says, crossing her arms.

"No one's gonna hear you scream from down here," Paine adds.

"W-Wait a second! I'll let you see what's in the sphere!" Leblanc stammers, somewhat frightened by the four of us.

"Let us?" Paine asks, almost scoffing at the comment.

"Please, the sphere is yours to watch," Leblanc says, and Yuna nods, walking over to all of us and pulling out the two halves of the sphere. Placing them back together, the sphere glows slightly for a moment, the cracks sealing over, before Yuna begins to play the sphere. The sphere fades in on what appears to be a large room, or pit of some sort. In the middle is an enormous machina, the same one we saw in one of the earlier spheres.

"That is the colossus Vegnagun," Leblanc explains, the three of them having also walked over to us. "We've finished our analysis of the sphere. It appears to have been recorded underneath Bevelle."

"I see Bevelle hasn't lost its old fondness for secrets," Paine says, folding her arms.

"Exactly. Those Yevon scum have been concealing that weapon all along. If anyone uses that thing, Spira is done for," Leblanc replies.

"But it's a machina!" Rikku cuts in, looking between Paine and Leblanc. "All we have to do is shakey-shake our way up to it and take it apart!"

"That's what Noojie's got in mind," Leblanc says. "And of course, whatever he's planning is what I'm planning. What about you?" she adds, turning to Yuna and I.

"Me?"

"Us?" I say, at the same time as Yuna.

"The summoners who defeated Sin ought to stand up and defend Spira again," Leblanc says, looking between us. Yuna just nods, and I nod as well, Leblanc putting a hand on her hip. "So then, I guess we're on the same side. We'll be waiting for you," she tells us, as she begins to walk off with Logos and Ormi.

"Waiting where?" Paine asks, causing Leblanc to turn to her.

"Don't be silly, love. On your airship, of course. I've always wanted to take a spin on that thing!" she says, as if it was obvious.

"Ever heard of asking?" Rikku says, annoyed.

"Apparently, no," I mutter, watching the three of them leave. Sighing, I begin to walk off after them, Yuna and the others right behind me. _'Better hope they don't get themselves in over their heads...or cause too much havoc on the Celsius. I can bet Brother and Buddy won't be too happy...' _I think, shaking my head.

* * *

So, what is everyone getting themselves into now...and can they handle it? Keep reading to find out! As always, please review!


	15. Chapter 15: Deeper And Deeper

Sorry it took so long for this chapter. A combination of writer's block, and the next semester of college starting is a very annoying thing. Anyhow, on to the replies!

Auron's Fan: Uh huh. A fate worse than death, that.

Zexion72: Sir, yes sir!

desert-tiger: Indeed. They can handle it...or so we think...

AKM: Nope.

MoombaRave: Thanks.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Lol, try and get 100. It'll drive ya nuts.

shadowkiller27: Well, simply put...I've got college now, which puts a definite crimp in my writing time. Which annoys me, but anyway. There can always be a bit more detail, but I usually reserve my best detailing for major boss fights. And I'll read your story, as well.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Yes, yes I did. And you're planning on doing...what, exactly?

XxCougarxX: (cough) Yeah, subtle enough of a way.

Now, finally, on to Bevelle!

* * *

Chapter 15—Deeper And Deeper

The Celsius sails smoothly through the sky, parting the clouds with ease as we fly towards the heart of New Yevon, Bevelle.

'_I really can't stand that place...' _I think to myself, staring out the window of my room. I've always had a hatred for Bevelle, and it just intensified when Seymour killed Rikku there. So, it's no surprise to me that my hands are clenched into fists.

"_You're awfully angry. Giving in so soon?" _Shuyin's voice in my mind causes me to look around for a moment, before I realize that it's him.

"Stifle it, jerk," I growl, sitting down on my bed.

"_And how, exactly, do you plan to make me?" _he taunts. Remaining silent, I punch the bed beside me out of anger. He knows exactly how to grate on my nerves.

"When I find you..." I mutter, and Shuyin just laughs.

"_What? Did I hit a sore spot?"_ he asks, mockingly.

"You're only making me want to kill you that much more," I respond, somewhat calmer now.

"_I'm shaking,"_ he says, flatly.

"Ben? Are you okay?" Rikku's voice makes my head snap towards the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You sounded like you were talking to yourself in there," she says, and I hear Shuyin mentally chuckle, before I feel his presence leave.

"I'm fine, Rikku. How far are we from Bevelle?" I ask, standing up.

"Not far, only a minute or two more before we land, I think," she replies, and I nod to myself, before opening the door to find Rikku's grinning face staring at me.

"Alright. I'm going to the bridge. Let's hope Leblanc hasn't driven Brother insane yet."

"What do you mean, 'yet'? He's already crazy!" Rikku responds, and I laugh.

"A valid point, indeed," I say, chuckling and walking to the elevator as Rikku follows.

As we arrive at the bridge, I can see Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi arguing about something with Brother and Buddy. Ignoring the fighting, I step over to Yuna, who is sitting nearby and watching the shouting match.

"So, what do you think we're going to find at Bevelle?" I ask her, and she shrugs.

"I'm not really sure," she replies, and I nod.

"Better to expect anything," I tell her, before spinning to the still shouting group. "Will you guys shut up!" I yell, instantly quieting the five of them as they see the look in my eyes. "Thank you. Leblanc, Logos, Ormi, are you three going with us?"

"We'll be right behind you, love," Leblanc says, and I nod.

"Good. Don't let your guard down. It's Bevelle, we can't really know what to expect," I tell them, before standing up. The Celsius begins to land, and I take a deep breath, before stepping out of the bridge, everyone else following me.

* * *

Bevelle. The headquarters of New Yevon, and the home of the praetor. The city is seemingly the area with the most political power in all of Spira.

"So, how we gonna do this?" Rikku asks.

"It's obvious!" Leblanc says, looking over at the blond girl. "We nab the head honcho. Then, we make him lead us to Vegnagun, and...checkmate."

"Not bad," Yuna says, nodding slightly.

"I got no problem with this," Ormi adds, looking around. "Our target is the New Yevon praetor, Baralai!"

"A girly man like that doesn't stand a chance without his escort," Logos says, nodding.

"Careful. He's much stronger than he looks," Paine says, looking over at the trio.

"Remember the last time we were here, Yuna?" I ask, and she nods.

"I remember," she replies. "It was such a happy time..."

"Yeah. It was," I say, stepping towards the main temple, everyone else beside me. _'Unfortunately...times change. And there's nothing we can do about it.' _I think to myself. Suddenly, a trio of guards run up to us, leveling guns at the seven of us.

"It's those Youth League spies!" the lead guard yells. "We won't have you defile this place like you did in Kilika!"

"Well, good luck!" Leblanc says, backing away. Quickly, I turn to her.

"Oh, no you don't. You're staying with us. We can handle these guys," I say, right before a shot goes flying past my shoulder. My eyes narrow, as I turn back to the guards, drawing my sword and taking my stance. Everyone else does the same, as Paine and I rush the guards, our swords flashing out and into two of the guns as the guards block. Yuna shoots at the third guard, causing him to step back, as Rikku runs in and attacks the same guard, forcing him to try and use his gun as a shield.

Ducking under a wild swing from one guard, Paine slashes him in the chest, causing him to drop his gun, before kicking him in the stomach, sending him off his feet and to the ground. Quickly, I dodge a swing of the rifle from the second guard, and twist, my heel slamming into his side in a spinning kick. As he winces, bending over some, I bring the handle of my sword into his face, causing him to fall backwards while clutching his nose. I can hear a cry of pain from the third guard, and see him fall as well.

"Simple enough," I mutter, sheathing my sword.

"So, where do we start looking?" Rikku asks, causing Leblanc to step beside her.

"It's obvious, love. The main temple, of course."

"Leblanc's right. It has to be the main temple," I say, nodding. "We better go, now. No telling when they might send more guards against us." Quickly, we all run towards the main temple, pushing the doors open and stepping inside. The inside of the temple looks exactly the same as I remember it, several rooms on each side of the main room, with elevated platforms on the top left, center, and top right of the room. A floating platform sits near the middle of the room, to take people either down to the lower floors, or up to the elevated platforms.

"Where to now?" Logos asks, and Yuna looks for a moment, before pointing to the platform.

"We go down. It has to be down there somewhere," she says, stepping over to the platform. As we all step on, the platform begins to descend, quickly taking us down into a very familiar place. The Cloister of Trials.

"Great. We have to navigate this thing again," I mutter, and Yuna smiles, looking over at me.

"Hey, we did it once, right?" she says, and I shrug.

"Yeah, true enough. Let's just get through this place. I hate it."

The Cloister is much the same as I remember it, floating platforms and transparent walls everywhere, forming a veritable maze. It takes us nearly 10 minutes to get through and make it to the Cloister of Trials. As we step near the doors of the Chamber of the Fayth, they suddenly open, as a familiar figure steps out.

"You!" I exclaim, staring down the slender figure of Lenna.

"Yeah, me. What about it?" she says, putting a hand on her hip.

"Nothing, really...just curious why you're here, is all," I reply. The attitude is beginning to annoy me, but I can handle it.

"I'm a sphere hunter. Why do you think I'm here?" she replies, and I roll my eyes.

"Why are you _really _here? You're after more than just spheres." Sighing, Lenna leans against the door, and begins to speak.

"Alright, fine. I know New Yevon's hiding something. I've been listening to Youth League members talk about some kind of machina down here, or something, and I wanted to see for myself," she explains, and I nod.

"Same reason we're here. We intend to find out just what they're hiding."

"This isn't the place for kids, and especially not a brat like you. So why don't you just run along, little girl?" Leblanc says, and Lenna glares daggers at the purple-clad woman.

"Excuse me! You want to step over here and say that?" she spits, beginning to step over to Leblanc. Quickly, I move in between the two, glaring at Leblanc.

"Look. As long as you're with us, you _will_ show respect to others, or I will beat some into you. Clear?" I say, thoroughly annoyed by the attitude that the woman has.

"Fine, sheesh. Don't get so upset, love," she mutters, stepping back. Turning to Lenna, I look down some at the shorter girl.

"And you can come with us, but don't start any trouble. Got it?" I say, and she nods.

"Whatever..."

"Um...can we get going again?" Rikku says, and I nod.

"Yeah, soon as we figure out just where to go," I reply.

"Hey, look at this!" Yuna says, standing near a pit of some sort. Quickly, we walk over to it, looking down into the hole. It's quite large, and has a ladder on the side.

"So, what is it?" Paine asks, and Yuna turns to the black-clad girl.

"I'm not quite sure."

"Well," I say, looking down into the hole, "it certainly can't hurt to go take a look." A series of nods follow my suggestion, and I begin to climb down the hole, everyone else following right after me.

* * *

As we arrive at the bottom of the pit, we look around to find a massive room, with a large pit in the center. Taking a moment to scan the surroundings, we don't get more than a few feet into the room before an alarm goes off. Quickly, Yuna turns to Leblanc and her group.

"Watch the exit!" she says, pointing to an enormous door behind where we entered.

"I don't take orders!" she retorts, before thinking for a moment. "But, I'll make an exception this time. Leave it to us, love!" she says, Logos and Ormi joining her in guarding the massive door.

"So, just what is this place?" Lenna asks, looking around.

"Looks like...a hangar of some sort, for a giant machina," Rikku says, and I nod.

"Reminds me of the airship hangar. But we all know what this one is for," I say, and Yuna nods.

"Vegnagun," she says, and Lenna's face turns to confusion.

"Vegnagun? Is that the machina I heard so much about?" she asks, and I nod slowly.

"One and the same. And it's extremely powerful. I don't want to take an uneducated guess...but I'd say it could have held Sin at bay. Maybe even beaten it." Lenna's face turns to horror at that, and I nod again. "Now you see why it needs to be destroyed." Walking away, I move near the edge of the pit, examining it closely. It's deep, a hundred feet or more at the least. Careful not to fall, I begin to move around it.

"Anyone see a panel, or something, that we can use to deactivate this alarm?" I yell, and everyone begins to look around, before Rikku suddenly sprints towards something, examining it and beginning to work. After a minute or two, the alarms stop, and a rumbling sound comes from the pit. Platforms begin to extend from the sides of the pit, in a circular formation leading down. Leblanc and her gang walk over, as we move to the first platform.

"Ladies first," I say, smiling at Rikku, who just sticks her tongue out at me. Jumping to the first platform, Rikku gives an 'ok' motion, and we all follow, beginning to jump from platform to platform. The platforms are large, but thankfully not too far apart. Soon, we jump to the ground, and look around. Rikku seems to recognize the place, turning to Yuna.

"Yunie! That sphere with you-know-who in it. Wasn't it recorded here?" Yuna looks around for a moment, before Leblanc rudely cuts in.

"Get your heads out of the clouds and move it!" she says, pointing to a door at the other side of the room. Quickly, we all run to it and open it, moving into the next area. A long hallway leads to another room, and as we step into it, we see a man dressed in fine clothing, with white hair held up by a headband around his forehead.

"The Gullwings?" he says, turning to us. "I was wondering who was there."

"Praetor Baralai," I say, nodding.

"High Summoner. It's a pleasure," he replies, nodding. "You don't have to tell me. I know why you've come. You're here to destroy the weapon that threatens all Spira. Vegnagun. Am I right?" he continues, looking over our group. "If it could be destroyed, we would've done so long ago. But Vegnagun must not be touched. Neither you nor Nooj seem to understand that."

"You talked to Nooj?" Paine asks, stepping forward.

"He...cannot be trusted," Baralai responds, and Paine folds her arms.

"And you can be?"

"Touche," Baralai replies after a moment. "Yes, I suppose Yevon has brought that distrust upon itself. At any rate, you need not interfere. Leave Vegnagun to me."

"What are you planning to do?" Yuna asks, as Baralai grabs a long staff from his back, stepping into a defensive stance.

"The only thing I can do. Keep those who would seek to harm Vegnagun away. Please leave."

"Yuna. Rikku. I'm going," Paine says, stepping in front of us and grabbing her sword.

"You're not the only one," I add, drawing my sword as well.

"Paine!" Baralai exclaims, seemingly annoyed. Charging us quickly, he brings the staff around in an arc towards our heads. Ducking under the strike, Paine stabs out with the sword, only to have Baralai jump back out of reach. As I charge now, I bring my sword in for a horizontal strike, to which Baralai knocks aside with the staff. Spinning, he brings the staff towards my knees, and knocks me off my feet, before stabbing down with the tip. I roll away from the strike, just as Paine runs in with a vertical slash, forcing Baralai to evade. Standing back up, I focus, spherechanging to Black Mage instead and grabbing a staff of my own.

"Fight fire with fire. Or this. Water!" I yell, the magical attack bursting in Baralai's face, stunning him for a brief moment. That moment is all that Paine needs to send her foot intothe back of Baralai's knee, knocking him to one knee, before she slams his side with the flat of the blade. Baralai winces, but brings his staff up into Paine's chest, knocking the wind out of her, before throwing her off her feet with a quick sweep.

"He's good with that staff..." I mutter, a plan forming in my head. Before I can react, though, Paine stands back up and swats another attack away with her sword, bringing the handle down on Baralai's wrist. He grunts in pain, letting go of the staff with his right hand, before Paine jabs her left fist out, catching Baralai in the chest and causing him to stumble. Another strike knocks the staff away from Baralai, and Paine trips him with a leg sweep, before sighing and sheathing her sword.

"Sorry, I'm going ahead," she says, and Yuna nods, stepping over to Paine.

"You have your reasons."

"Fill us in later, kay?" Rikku adds, and Paine nods.

"Much later," she says, beginning to run towards the next area.

"Wait up!" Rikku cries, as the three of us follow Paine.

"Hey, don't leave me!" Lenna shouts, running after us.

* * *

As we enter the next area, Yuna stops, staring at the sight in front of us. I stop as well, looking up at the massive form in front of us, a form that we both thought we wouldn't see again.

"No way..." Rikku says, looking up at the towering figure.

"What is it?" Paine asks.

"It's an aeon!" Rikku exclaims, as the mighty figure of Bahamut gives a powerful roar.

"An aeon..." Yuna says, before stretching her arms out wide and stepping in front of us. "You must stop!" Paine runs to Yuna, shoving her back some.

"You wanna get killed? We have no choice!" she exclaims, drawing her sword. Reluctantly, Yuna grabs her guns, as Rikku, Lenna and I draw our weapons as well.

_(Play FFX theme Summoned Beast Battle)_

Lenna begins to dance, staring up at the creature, but is surprised to see that Bahamut isn't blinded.

"It didn't work!" she cries, as I slash hard into the aeon, Paine joining me.

"Aeons are immune to any kind of magical effect like blinding or silence!" I yell back, quickly spherechanging to Black Mage. Aiming my staff at the creature, I cross my fingers.

"Fira!" I yell, a bigger burst of flame flying from my staff to strike Bahamut. The aeon simply growls, before four black balls appear and fly towards us, one striking all of us except for Lenna. Stumbling back from the attack, I clutch my stomach, Yuna kneeling down and firing rapidly at Bahamut. The bullets aren't having much of an effect, and Rikku spherechanges to White Mage quickly, pointing her staff at me.

"Cure!" she yells, a wave of sparkles washing over me and healing some of my wounds. With a quick nod to her, I smile, before moving my fingers into a diamond shape, blue light beginning to surround me. I notice blue light begin to surround Rikku as well, and as I begin to spherechange, I look over at her. A wave of light surrounds her, before something suddenly appears, seeming to appear from the very floor itself. Rikku leaps on top of the creature, now dressed in a blue bodysuit, and pumps a fist in the air. Getting a good look at the creature, I notice that it's covered in armor and some sort of weapons. As my change into the Blade Knight dressphere finishes, I take a moment to look over at Rikku's Machina Maw dressphere, before focusing my attention back on Bahamut.

"Rough Divide!" I cry, charging Bahamut and slashing upwards, the sword leaving a tiny cut along its chest. Growling, it slaps me out of the air, and I land hard on my back, my vision going blurry.

"Take this, you big meanie!" I hear Rikku cry, and faintly see two explosions engulf Bahamut, who growls in pain. Quickly, the aeon flies over to her, slashing down hard, but Rikku's 'pet' leaps out of the way, firing another duo of missiles in retaliation. Yuna is still firing at Bahamut, the bullets having little effect on the monster's thick hide, and Lenna is now dressed in the Black Mage dressphere as well.

"Water!" she yells, the magical spell splashing into Bahamut's face, and distracting the creature for a moment. Another glow of light, this one yellow, turns my attention to Paine, who has now spherechanged into her Full Throttle dressphere from Black Mage.

"Aestus!" she cries, slashing Bahamut in the chest as a burst of fire strikes the aeon. Roaring, Bahamut steps back, four balls of dark energy appearing once again. As they fire, this time they strike Yuna and Paine, the other two striking Lenna and I, sending us both to the ground. Quickly, I take out a Hi-Potion and gulp it down, checking on Lenna as well. Slowly, she stands up, looking annoyed.

"Watera!" she yells, the second-level spell slamming Bahamut in the face. Quickly, I grab my other sword, and charge Bahamut, leaping into the air with a battle cry.

"Renzokuken!" I yell, my movements speeding up to allow me quicker strikes. I land several slashes on Bahamut's face, before falling back down to the ground. Bahamut seems quite weak now, a far cry from the powerful creature he was just minutes ago. Paine decides to strike the finishing blow.

"Levin!" she cries, lightning coursing through Bahamut's body as she slashes him one final time. Roaring in pain, the aeon slumps to the ground, slowly dissipating into pyreflies as we all spherechange back to our normal dresspheres.

_(End FFX theme Summoned Beast Battle)_

"Why..." I hear Yuna mutter, looking quite saddened now. Paine walks over, placing an arm around Yuna and saying something to her that I can't quite hear. Yuna nods, looking over at Paine.

"Thank you, Paine. You were right. We had to fight it, didn't we?" Paine simply nods, as Rikku walks over to something near the back of the area, staring down at the floor. As we all walk up to her, we see that the object she's staring at is a large hole in the floor. I can't see the bottom, either, so it must be quite deep as well.

"This hole was made recently," Yuna says, looking down into the pit.

"You think it was Vegnagun?" Rikku asks, looking over at Yuna, who just shrugs. "Unreal...how deep do you think it goes?" Before anyone gets a chance to answer, a noise behind us alerts us to the arrival of Leblanc and her gang.

"What? Where's Vegnagun?" she asks, stepping towards us.

"Not here," Yuna replies.

"It must have fled in terror, knowing I was coming," Leblanc says, dramatically.

"Oh boy..." Lenna mutters, and I just shake my head.

"I don't think so," Rikku says.

"I must report to Noojie-Woojie at once," Leblanc says, turning to Logos and Ormi. "Boys, record this. Don't miss a single detail!" she commands, and they nod.

"Yes, boss!" they say, pulling out blank spheres and beginning to record pictures of the pit and surrounding area.

"Vegnagun. Was it really here?" Paine asks, and I shrug.

"It had to have been. You saw the sphere." Before I can continue, however, a transmission comes over the comlinks.

"Yuna! We are in super doo-doo! Get back to the Celsius on the double!" Brother shouts, and I nod.

"We gotta get out of here! Le-hey...where'd she go?" Confused, I look around for the girl, who seems to have vanished while we were talking. "Oh well, no time for that now..." I mutter, beginning to run back the way we came, as Yuna and the others follow.

* * *

If my description of the underground of Bevelle is a little off, I apologize. It's been a while since I did that part, and my memory is a little fuzzy about how it looks. Next chapter, the group finds themselves in a bigger situation than they thought, and Ben finds himself in a whole lot of trouble! As always, please review!


	16. Chapter 16: Complications

Ah...long weekend's finally over. So, may as well get prepared to get back to class...(groans) Anyhow, on to the replies.

Zexion72: Well, you're gonna find out right now.

Remco: More than likely, you're gonna see a comment. And I never did understand why you couldn't use them together. It never made sense to me.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Yep. Enjoy. And yes, I have read the fic. It is quite good.

AKM: If I told you where Lenna went, that would be too easy.

XxCougarxX: I'm good with staves myself, and I've been on the recieving end. It's not fun.

Shadowkiller27: Eh, I'll deal with it. Hopefully.

Iron Reaver: (insert dramatic musical cue) Yeah...Darius is the most likely, though. I can easily see him doing this. (sighs) Poor, poor Spira.

And now...onward. To chaos...(evil smile)

* * *

Chapter 16—Complications

"What's the situation?" I ask, as we run into the Bridge. Buddy immediately turns to us, standing up.

"Trouble, and I mean big time! Fiends are pouring out of the temples!" he says, and Yuna's eyes go wide.

"Which ones?" Rikku asks, quickly.

"Only all of them!" Brother replies. "It's a freakin' state of emergency! What should we do?" Yuna looks thoughtful for a moment, as Brother speaks again. "Is it Gullwing time?"

"Not exactly sphere hunter work," Shinra chimes in.

"True. But seeing Yuna and Ben out there could calm people down," Buddy says, looking at us.

"They'll expect them to do the dirty work," Paine adds.

"Yeah, but you two want to help," Rikku says, looking over at us. "Don't you?" I just nod, as everyone else looks down slightly. Suddenly, Rikku looks up, a bright smile on her face. "Hey, I got an idea! We can be 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings'!" she says. I have to resist the urge to chuckle at the name. Still, I nod, looking from person to person.

"You mean taking out fiends and charging for it?" Buddy asks, and Rikku nods.

"E mega ed!" Brother says, nodding.

"What do you think?" Paine says, looking to myself and Yuna.

"Well, why not! If that means we can help out people who are in trouble, then sure!" Yuna replies, and I just nod.

"It works," I say simply.

"Right, that means sphere hunting's on hold!" Rikku says.

"Your Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings!" Yuna says, looking at all of us.

"It's decided!" Brother agrees. "Where to?" Before anyone can answer, though, the alarm goes off, causing Buddy to run over to his screen. Quickly, he looks over something for a moment, before turning back to us.

"What could this mean?" he asks. "Meyvn Nooj of the Youth League...and Baralai, praetor of New Yevon...gone. They've disappeared."

"Fascinating," Brother says flatly, turning back to us. "All right! Never mind. Now, Friendly Neighboring Gullwings...where to?" he asks again.

"...Let's see. The fiends are coming from the temples...I know. We should split up. We can check out more places that way," I suggest, and Yuna looks at me.

"Are you sure?" she asks, and I nod.

"I can handle myself. And I know just where I'll start. Zanarkand."

"Alright," Yuna says, turning to Brother. "You heard him, let's go!"

"Roger!" Brother replies, the Celsius beginning to fly towards the ruined city once again.

* * *

Stepping out of the Celsius, I watch as the doors close behind me, the ship lifting off and flying off again. Turning on my comlink, I make sure the device is working, before beginning to walk back towards the dome. I don't get very far, though, before I stop, seeing a familiar figure walking towards the dome.

"Darius...what's he doing here? He could be doing the same thing I am...but I'm not so sure," I mutter, musing to myself for a moment. Quickly debating with myself, I decide to follow him, to see just what he's up to. As he walks inside the dome, I keep my distance, staying just close enough to keep an eye on him. Any fiends that happen to get in his way are quickly, and brutally, disposed of with his pistols.

I follow him through the dome, as we soon arrive at the Cloister of Trials. Darius looks around for a moment, before walking over to a section of the wall. Examining it for a moment, he seems satisfiedwith his findings, and steps back, grabbing a shotgun from his coat. Quickly, he loads two shells into the large gun, before stepping away from the wall.

Ducking behind a large rock, I watch as Darius fires at the wall, a small explosion blowing the wall away in a burst of smoke and rock. As the dust clears, I can now see that the 'wall' wasn't really a wall at all, but merely a cover for a hidden hallway. Darius puts the shotgun away, and begins to walk down the hall. Slowly, I stand up, looking at the revealed passage.

'_I never knew this was here...what could possibly be in here?' _I think to myself. _'It's Zanarkand...so I better expect to find anything.' _Not wanting to lose sight of the boy, I walk down the passage quietly, following his footsteps. If he notices that I'm following him, he really doesn't seem to care, as he hasn't made any attempt to stop me. A few minutes later, we arrive in a large room, much larger than the Chamber of the Fayth. Elaborate statues around the room show previous High Summoners from years past, and colorful, yet somewhat worn tapestries hang around the room. Pedestals are situated in various spots around the room, but one in particular catches my eye. A glowing white sphere sits on a pedestal in the back of the room, near a large throne of some sort.

"Ah...I knew I would find it here," Darius says, beginning to walk over to the pedestal. Just as he reaches it, however, I stand up from my hiding spot. Darius stops, turning to me with a smirk on his face. "So, you're here too. You followed me all the way from the dome's entrance, didn't you?" he says, and I nod.

"Saw you, wanted to know what you were up to. Guess I found out," I say, motioning towards the sphere.

"Thought so. Really wouldn't expect any less from you. You're such a nosy little kid," he says, chuckling.

"I'll just ignore that insult. You're not taking that sphere, either," I say defiantly, stepping towards him. Quickly, Darius turns and takes the sphere, pocketing it, before turning back to me.

"And who's going to stop me? You?" he says, scoffing. "Don't make me laugh. You're not even worth my time."

"Oh, really?" I say, tensing.

"Really. You're out of your league, _high summoner_," he says, a mocking edge to the last words. Growling, I grab my sword, preparing for a confrontation. Before I can react, however, Darius just seems to appear in front of me, slashing out with his hand in a sickeningly fast cross that knocks me back and off my feet.

"That's not right..." I mutter, standing up again and shaking my head. "How did he move that fast without using Haste..."

"Surprised? I'll just say this. I'm holding back. I'm holding back _a lot_." Smirking, Darius grabs his pistols, dropping both hands to his side. "You can leave now, and save us both the trouble."

"Do you think I'm going to?" I say, dropping into a defensive stance.

"Not really. I'll just have to make you, then," he says calmly.

_(Play FFX theme Otherworld)_

"Firaga!" he cries, a great ball of flame blasting out at me. My eyes go wide, but I shake off my surprise just in time to duck under the fiery blast. Quickly, I charge in, bringing my sword down...to meet empty air as Darius seems to vanish before my eyes. Spinning, I look around to see Darius on the other side of the room.

"Are you done?" he asks, seemingly bored, as he holsters the two pistols and brings out a pair of larger handguns. I recognize them as a form of magnum, but I don't have much time to think about that right now. "Cancel Shell!" he yells, firing a round from one of the magnums that slams into me, sending me stumbling back. I can feel something blocking my Warrior abilities now, and I growl.

"Stop toying with me..." I mutter, grabbing my sword and running in again, quickly swinging the sword in a horizontal motion. Darius ducks under the attack, bringing a foot into my side, then one into my chest, blowing me back and off my feet again. Wincing, I get back to my feet and grab a Potion, only to have it _shot out of my hand_.

"Nuh uh. That's not nice," he says, smiling evilly and holstering the pistols, before grabbing a rifle from inside of his coat and aiming up at the ceiling. "Scatter Beam!" The rifle's barrel begins to glow, as a yellow beam fires out, splitting into a dozen or so smaller beams which all begin to head for me. Stepping back, I leap to the side as one crashes into the ground beside me, the beams beginning to shower down around me. Several of the beams strike me, and I cry out, stumbling back as blood begins to trickle from my chest.

"Tell you what. Spherechange into whatever you want. Then, you might at least have a chance," he says, the cocky grin never leaving his face. Shaking my head to recover from the last attack, I glare daggers at him, before bringing my hands forward, spherechanging into Black Mage. As the light clears, I focus intently, blue light surrounding me and dissipating as I spherechange into my special dressphere.

"You're going to regret letting me do that," I say, grabbing both swords from my back and stepping forward again. As I charge this time, though, Darius leaps up and bounces off of my back, sending me stumbling forward as we both spin to face each other, Darius still in mid-air.

"Am I really?" he taunts, landing and aiming the rifle at me again. "Kazkata!" A bright burst of energy erupts from the barrel, the energy round flying past my shoulder as I duck, which sends the round into the wall behind me.

'_He might just be right...he's still toying with me, and I don't like it one bit. He's way more powerful than I thought...' _Standing straight again, I run forward and jump into the air as my swords begin to glow.

"Fated Circle!" I yell, spinning in mid air to let the magical energy wave slash out at Darius. He just stands there, letting the attack connect with him, which sends up a cloud of dust. When it clears, he's still standing; a few small burn spots are on his coat, but he's otherwise unharmed.

"This is the best you have?" he says, sighing and shaking his head. "I might as well end this now." Standing straight, Darius puts the rifle away and brings his two pistols back out, beginning to glow with a yellow aura.

"No way...that can't be..."

"Oh, it is. Get ready to face my Overdrive!" he yells, aiming at me quickly and calling out the attack. "Bullet Reflux!" Before I can even make an attempt to defend, bullets begin to slam into me as Darius fires rapidly, the bullets forcing me back as I cry out in pain. At least forty bullets hit before Darius' guns begin to glow white, and he smiles evilly before firing several more times, white energy shells flying from the guns and blasting me off my feet to skid across the stone floor.

_(End FFX theme Otherworld)_

Blue light surrounds me as I'm forcefully spherechanged back to Warrior, and I try to move, but can barely support myself with my hands. Darius puts his pistols away and steps over to me, kneeling down to face me, before smirking.

"I warned you. Better luck next time," he says, stepping out of the room. My vision starts to blur, before I finally lose the rest of my strength, slumping over to the ground as everything around me turns to black.

* * *

"Uhhh...what...where am I?" I mutter to myself, opening my eyes and looking around.

"Ben!" Rikku yells, grabbing me in a tight hug. I hiss in pain as she grabs me, and she quickly lets go. As I finally get a good look at my surroundings, I discover that I'm back in the cabin of the Celsius, lying on one of the beds.

"How'd I...get back here?" I ask, slowly sitting up some to look at Rikku, as well as Yuna and Paine, who are standing nearby.

"Well, after we tried to get in touch with you over the comlink and you didn't answer, we figured something was wrong. We came back to Zanarkand, and saw Drante carrying you out of the dome. Rikku practically went nuts, and I'll admit, I was a little worried. You looked like you took quite a beating from something," Yuna says.

"Yeah...blame Darius."

"Darius? He's the one who did this to you?" Rikku says, and I nod.

"I couldn't even touch him...the only time I hit him, he _let me_," I reply, wincing.

"You fought him, and you knew he was that powerful?" Paine asks, folding her arms. Slowly, I shake my head.

"The last time I fought him, I held my own. This time...it was like he was leagues away from how he was before. I didn't even know until it was too late to do anything about it," I reply. Yuna just nods, looking over at the other two, who step beside her.

"We'll be back later, we're going to the bridge to see if we can figure out what's happening with the temples. You should get some rest," she says, and I nod, as the three of them walk down the stairs and out of the cabin. Sighing, I lie back on the bed, staring at the ceiling absently.

"What did he take...what was that sphere I saw him steal..."

"I can answer that," a voice says from beside me. Looking to my right, I can see the fayth of Bahamut standing near one of the other beds.

"You can?" I ask, and he nods.

"The sphere he took was an ancient artifact, made by us fayth hundreds of years ago. As you already know, a thousand years ago, Sin came and began to ravage Spira. We fayth became the aeons, and helped summoners to defeat Sin. But, we realized that humans are only that, human. There may come a time when something happens to the summoners. So, we devised a way to get around that," he explains. Slowly, I nod, understanding what the fayth is telling me.

"And it has to do with the sphere," I say, to which Bahamut nods.

"Yes. That sphere is called the Sphere of the Fayth. Inside that sphere is a part of the essence of each of the aeons. A part of their soul, you could say. With it, any person who possessed it could summon and command the aeons, should something happen to the summoners. It was a kind of backup plan, in a way."

"So...I take it since it was sealed away in Zanarkand, you never had to use it?" I ask.

"That's right. Summoners proved to be strong enough to handle the challenges that defeating Sin posed, and so the sphere was sealed away, and eventually forgotten," Bahamut says.

"So, you can't...do anything about it, can you? Because if he can control the aeons...that could be really bad news," I say.

"Regretfully, I can't. We fayth aren't allowed to directly interfere in human affairs."

"But, you became the aeons, right? That's not directly interfering?" I ask, confused by Bahamut's response.

"It's more complicated than you think. Aeons were permitted to help humans defeat Sin. We were not allowed to fight Sin by ourselves, for example, but we were allowed to help humans gain the power necessary to defeat the beast."

"I see...permitted by who?"

"That...I can't say. You might find out on your own, but I can't tell you myself," he replies, and I nod.

"Thanks. I appreciate the help," I say, as Bahamut gives a short nod, before vanishing.

'_There's a lot more to this than I realize, I think...and there's definitely more to Darius' plan than I'm seeing here. I just wish I knew what he's going to do next...'_

Sighing, I sit up, before standing up from the bed and beginning to walk down the stairs. I'm still not fully healed, but at least I can move now. Slowly, I make my way to the elevator, heading to the bridge to join Yuna and the others.

"Any news?" I ask, stepping into the bridge. Yuna looks a little surprised to see me, but shakes her head.

"Nothing yet. Looks like there's trouble all over, Kilika, Djose, even Besaid."

"So, where do we go first?" I ask, and everyone seems to think for a moment, before Buddy speaks up.

"How about Luca? It's a big city, and we're not sure what's happening there. There isn't a temple there, but you never know. Could be trouble just the same," he says, and Yuna nods.

"Sounds good to me!" Rikku says, stepping over to me. I put an arm around her, and she smiles, as Buddy sits down at his chair, the Celsius lifting off and beginning to fly towards Luca.

* * *

So, Darius has decided to start his own brand of trouble. What will he do, and how will it affect the Gullwings, and the rest of Spira? You'll have to keep reading to see...as always, please read and review!


	17. Chapter 17: Beating The Odds

Well, the next chapter is finally up. College has been interesting, and I've been a little sick this week, thus the delay. But, anyway, enough personal stuff. Reply time!

Sandstone: Interesting, indeed.

KamiKaze no Kage: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Kage, and thanks! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it.

Astral Slayer Asuka: Nice to know Darius has a fan club...of sorts. (shrug)

Remco: Of course it would be overkill. I was thinking more along the lines of, "Why didn't they tone them down and make them usable at once?" So, that's the route I will try to take with this story.

Shadowkiller27: He's actually a good guy now. (smirk) You'd hate to see him turn evil.

Iron Reaver: Yeah, this'll put Sin to shame. For the whole game day it takes the people to forget about it. --

Zexion72: Indeed. This won't be pretty.

XxCougarxX: Oh, I'm pretty thankful. Funny how you can survive darn near anything in a video game, unless it's in a cut scene...

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: Following along with the storyline, yes. Different quests and such, also yes. The whole fight thing...was kinda for the mission. And no, Lenna is not down the hole. (eyeroll)

Gester: I try to keep it progressing relatively smoothly. Usually a chapter every week or so. Sometimes more, sometimes less, like in this case.

Well, finally, on to the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 17—Beating The Odds

As we arrive at Luca, Buddy checks his computer for any sign of activity involving the fiends that have been emerging from the temples. After a moment, he turns to us.

"Hm. No reports of fiend activity here. Guess there's no Gil to be made in Luca. Everyone's worked up about some kind of sphere breaking contest," he says, and Shinra stands up.

"That's 'Sphere Break.' You should enter. The grand prize is a dressphere," he explains, and Rikku seems happy.

"Great! I've been practicing!" she exclaims.

"Well, let's go take a look," Yuna says, and all of us nod, beginning to follow Yuna out.

'_The sphere...Darius has it now. Which means, he can control the aeons. But, why? Why does he even want to control them in the first place? Could it have something to do with the fiends...'_

"Hey, you okay?" Rikku says, looking back at me. Snapping out of my thoughts quickly, I nod.

"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking."

"Well, come on! We don't want to miss the excitement!" she replies, running out quickly. Quickly, I follow, deciding to put my thoughts away for later.

Soon, we step into the main square of Luca. There's an awful lot of people bustling around excitedly, waiting for the tournament to start. Over near one of the buildings, I can see Shelinda speaking to Rin.

"You can't go anywhere in Luca without hearing about Sphere Break," Shelinda says, looking at the camera. "And now it's just about time for the competition to get underway. But first, a word from our sponsor. Lord Rin." Quickly, Shelinda walks off, as the camera focuses on Rin, who has three young ladies standing behind him as well.

"Famlousa, ajanouha. I am looking forward to a fair competition. May the best man win!" he says, and the crowd cheers.

"Go time!" Rikku says, pumping a fist into the air.

"Kuut milg du oui!" Rin says, stepping inside a building, as most of the crowd follows. Yuna and Rikku nod to each other, and follow the crowd as well.

"Good luck, you two!" I say, and they smile, as the doors close behind them.

"Think they can win?" Paine asks, and I shrug.

"I wouldn't underestimate them, but...they're probably up against some of the best. They won't win easily."

"You know that Shinra entered?" Paine says, and I nod.

"Yeah. I think he's got a good chance to win," I reply, sitting down on a bench. Paine sits beside me, and I lean back, waiting to hear the results of the matches.

* * *

A half hour or so later, I see Rikku, Yuna, and Shinra walk out, Rikku looking quite annoyed.

"How'd it go?" I ask, and Rikku just huffs.

"Oooh...I was so close!" she exclaims, and Paine looks over at her.

"Who beat you?" she asks, and Rikku just motions to Shinra.

"It's elementary, really. Once you get the hang of it," Shinra replies.

"How'd you do, Yuna?" I ask, and Yuna sighs.

"I lost too," she replies. Quirking an eyebrow, I look over at her.

"Who beat you?" I ask, before the sound of approaching footsteps makes me turn.

"That'd be me," the smirking face of Darius DeValle says, stepping over. Instantly, I jump from the bench, on guard in a second.

"Jerk..." I mutter, and he waves a hand at me.

"Oh, please. Calm down, I'm not here for you, I'm here for the tournament." Darius looks over our group for a moment, before eyeing Shinra. "So, you're the other guy in the finals. Don't look like much of a match to me."

"Once I outplay him, the tournament is mine," Shinra says, motioning to Darius.

"You? Defeat me, Darius DeValle? Don't make me laugh," he says, before a chime sounds. "Well, time to get this tournament over with," Darius says, stepping back towards the building. Shinra follows silently, as Yuna and Rikku join Paine and I on the bench beside us.

"That was the guy who attacked you?" Yuna says, looking over at me.

"Yeah, the jerk. He says he's here for the tournament, but I don't trust him one bit," I reply, and Rikku looks over at me as well.

"Well, we can't really do anything about it, can we?" she says, and I reluctantly nod.

"Just wish he hadn't showed up to begin with," I remark. Sighing, I lean back on the bench, waiting for the final round to end.

* * *

A few minutes later, everyone begins to walk out of the building. Darius and Shinra are among the first out, and they both walk over to us.

"Did you win?" Yuna asks Shinra, who just stands there.

"My goggles fogged up," he replies, and Rikku and I both look at each other.

"He lost," we say at the same time. Darius just smirks, as Shelinda motions for him to walk over. As he moves over to Shelinda, Rin walks over to join the two of them, Shelinda taking a microphone in hand.

"And the winner of the first Sphere Break tournament is...Darius DeValle!" she announces, the crowd cheering in response. "Presenting his award is our sponsor, Lord Rin." As she speaks, Rin walks closer to Darius, extending his right hand for a handshake.

"Luhknydimydeuhc," Rin says, handing Darius a sphere with his oleft hand. Darius takes the sphere, shaking Rin's right hand as he does so, before everyone cheers again. As the crowd begins to disperse, Darius gives a whistle, turning our attention back to him. To my surprise, he throws the sphere at us. Yuna catches it, staring at it in disbelief, as Darius speaks.

"Here. You guys might as well take it. After all, you're going to need it," he says, chuckling to himself. Quickly, I step up to him, glaring.

"I don't know what you're planning, but rest assured, I _will_ stop you," I say. Darius simply shrugs the comment off.

"Sure. Whatever you say," he sneers, before walking off.

"I can see why you don't like him," Paine comments, and I nod.

"He's too arrogant," I say, looking over at everyone. "So, anyway, where do we go now?"

"I heard something about machina going crazy on the Mi'ihen Highroad during the tournament, with a reward to anyone who can stop them. We should go check it out," Yuna replies, and I nod.

"Sounds good." Yuna, Rikku, Paine and I begin to walk towards the Mi'ihen Highroad, while Shinra begins to head back to the Celsius.

* * *

The Mi'ihen Highroad. The longest path in all of Spira. Or so I believe, at least. Yuna and I walked this road as summoner and guardian two years ago. It doesn't seem like much has changed. In the distance, I can see machina walking around. The only problem is that they seem to be aggressive. Attacking other fiends, as well as the occasional person that gets too close.

"Let's mangle those machina and take the reward!" Rikku exclaims.

"Yuna?" Paine asks.

"Let's do it!"

"Sounds like it's time for action," I say, grabbing my sword. "Let's trash these tin cans."

Up ahead, three smaller machina units are swarming over a coyote-type fiend, electrocuting it and stabbing it with sharp blades. The fiend can't take the assault, and explodes into pyreflies, just as one of the machina is blown onto its back by two shots from Yuna. Rikku grabs her daggers and heads for the next machina, laying into it with a series of slashes. Paine simply strides up to the third and calmly cleaves it in two with a powerful strike. A short cry from Rikku makes me look over at her, to see her stabbing and kicking the machina furiously.

"The silly thing zapped me!" she exclaims, stomping the disabled machine once more for good measure.

"Easy there, killer. We need to save some of that energy for the rest of them," I say, laughing a little. Rikku just shoots me a pouting look, before we continue to walk down the Highroad. It's not long before we come across another pack of machina. This time, though, it's three of the smaller machina, led by a larger, four-legged one. The larger machina immediately runs at me, three flat panels extending over and to either side of me, before they close quickly, slamming into my body. It's not a very powerful attack, but it makes me wince. Quickly, I spherechange into Black Mage, stepping back from the machina and pointing my staff at it.

"Thundara!" I yell, the bolt of lightning flooding the machina's systems and short-circuiting it.

"Thundara!" I watch as Paine, who has also spherechanged to Black Mage, overloads another machina, sparks flying from the tiny machine. Yuna simply riddles another with bullets, as Rikku knocks the final machina over and proceeds to quickly dismantle it.

"This is simple enough," Paine says, changing back to Warrior.

"Sure seems that way," Yuna says. Suddenly, a small explosion from ahead of us gets our attention, and we turn to see a familiar figure in a red coat, slashing at another large machina.

"Hey, it's Drante..." I say, starting to walk over to him. Everyone follows, watching him slash at the large machina gracefully. The machina raises its arm panels, aiming to use the same attack on Drante that the other machina used on me, before Drante quickly slides out of the way, slicing one of the arms completely off. In one fluid motion, Drante slashes across, up, and then down, the remaining two arms falling to the ground, followed by the front of the machina a moment later. Drante's sword quickly reforms into the same orb I saw him use back on Besaid, and he tucks it back into a pocket, stepping over to meet us.

"Greetings," he says, and I nod.

"Hey, Drante," I say, nodding back at him. "I take it you've heard about the fiends, too?"

"Yes, I have. It's quite a strange event, really. Fiends appearing out of all the temples, at nearly the exact same time. I would say that this is not merely a coincidence."

"It can't be. There has to be something bigger," I reply, and Yuna nods.

"Do you know anything about it?" she asks, and Drante shakes his head.

"I'm afraid not, high summoner," he replies. "I have been investigating this as well, but I have yet to find anything to explain it."

"We can't find anything either. I did find one strange thing in Zanarkand, though. A sphere that was created to allow people to harness the powers of aeons, summoner or not. And it got stolen, right in front of my face," I add.

"Yes, by Darius DeValle." This makes me quirk an eyebrow.

"How'd you know?" I ask, and Drante smiles.

"I had been following you since you began following him. It was a simple matter, really. I watched the entire fight, and then aided you after the fight was over."

"Well, why didn't you help me _during the fight_?" I say, somewhat annoyed.

"My apologies. I had assumed that you were strong enough to handle his attacks. I suppose I was mistaken."

"Quite mistaken, if you ask me..." I mutter, rubbing my arm. "So, did you come to handle the rampaging machina too?" I ask. Drante nods in response.

"Yes, I was near Mushroom Rock Road when I heard reports of the machina becoming uncontrollable. So, I came to offer my assistance," he says.

"Ah...we came to help out too. So, I've got an idea. Let's take care of the machina, and then split the reward evenly. Sound good to you?" I ask, and Drante thinks for a moment, before nodding.

"That sounds fine to me."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Rikku says, enthusiastically.

"For you to calm down," I retort, causing Rikku to stick her tongue out at me.

"Uh, guys? We've got trouble," Yuna says, pointing farther down the road, where three large machina are advancing on us, flanked by another duo of smaller machina.

"Looks like one for each of us," I say, grabbing my sword again. Drante's orb rolls out of his sleeve, surprising me for a moment, before he turns it into a powerful broadsword. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine each grab their weapons, as Yuna takes the first move.

"Take this!" she yells, firing rapidly at the large machina on the right which sends it back, sparks flying from it. The machina isn't disabled yet, though, and closes on Yuna quickly, shocking her with a burst of electricity. Yuna steps back, before driving the barrels of both guns into the 'face' of the machine, and then unloading a volley of shots, tearing the machina's front panels to pieces and sending it to the ground in a heap.

Rikku also goes on the offensive quickly, driving both of her daggers into the top of a smaller machina. The machine hops back, taking Rikku's daggers with it, before trying to shock Rikku as well. Rikku leaps out of the way and yanks her daggers out of the machine, before kicking it hard, flipping it over as she begins to dismantle it.

"Armor Break!" Paine yells, the smaller machina on the receiving end of the attack sailing into the air, to crash down a few feet away. I stop for a moment and stare, resisting the urge to laugh. Suddenly, I'm zapped by a painful jolt of electricity, and turn back to the offending machina. As it raises its arms to attack, I spear it in the 'face' with my sword, sending sparks flying from the front of it. Quickly, I yank the sword out and slash, snapping the two side arms nearly in half, before stabbing the sword down into the front of the machina again. That sends it to the ground, spraying sparks wildly.

Drante seems to have little trouble with the machina he's fighting, as he easily slides around and under every attack the large machina uses. Finally, he slashes outward, the right arm snapping off, before changing the sword back into the orb. I'm confused for a moment as to why he just did that, before I see him grab a second orb, morphing both of them into short swords. Quickly, he tears the offending machina to pieces with a series of deadly accurate strikes.

"Is that all of them?" I ask, looking around at the machina bits everywhere from this battle and our previous fights. Everyone nods, and a woman begins to walk up to us, looking quite relieved.

"Thank you for all your help," she says, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a large amount of Gil. "Here's your reward, as promised." Nodding, Yuna takes the money and counts it.

"Ten thousand Gil," she says, looking around.

"Nice. More than enough for the five of us." Yuna quickly counts off half of it, and hands it to Drante.

"Thank you," he says, pocketing the money.

"Thanks for the help, Drante," Yuna replies, and Drante waves a hand.

"It was no trouble at all," he says, replacing his two orbs into his pockets. "However, I must be going now. Stay safe, high summoner," he tells Yuna, before beginning to walk back down the Highroad.

"So, what made the machina go all haywire?" Rikku asks the woman, who has been quietly watching our exchange.

"None of us can figure it out," she replies, shrugging. "Pretty creepy, huh? We found agency property smashed up. Then the hover crashed. Just when we were about to look into that, the machina went out of control."

"Well, if you find anything out, be sure and give the Gullwings a call," Yuna says, and the woman nods, waving and walking away. Yuna gives a final look at the scattered machina parts, before turning back to us. "Ready to head back?"

"Now that wasn't a very feel-good ending, now was it?" Rikku says, as we start to walk back towards Luca.

"People who want happy endings have to write their own," Paine says, and I nod.

"Indeed they do."

"Aw. What about me?" Rikku whines. "I want a happy ending, too!"

"Better get to writing, then," I joke. Rikku just rolls her eyes as we enter the city, headed back to the Celsius.

* * *

So, Drante knows what's happening as well. What is Darius' motive, anyway? Keep reading to find out! As always, please read and review!


	18. Chapter 18: Trouble In Paradise

Ah...another chapter finished. I feel like I've accomplished something! (crickets chirp) Okay, maybe not. Anyhow. The replies!

Iron Reaver: Thank you. And...yeah. I won't forget to smile. --

Neassa: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Neassa! Hope you enjoy it. As for the Magus Sisters...I believe I used a combination of Lady Luck, White Mage, and Berserker/Warrior to beat them. Just make sure you have some decent form of healing.

Shadowkiller27: Indeed he is. And as for orders...I don't take too kindly to being ordered around. (eyes narrow)

KamiKaze no Kage: For a time, at least. And nothing to do...tis the worst fate of all.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: (chuckles) Interesting. Interesting, indeed. May want to consider adding Yu Yevon to that little list. Hehe.

Astral Slayer Asuka: Now, where would be the fun in that? He's still got quite the major role to play, yet...

Daniel Wesley Rydell: I think T3h Shadow can take Drante.

XxCougarxX: Want me to be perfectly honest? No. But...you really haven't seen Darius' true power, yet. Just wait...

tom harrison: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, tom! Glad to see you're enjoying it.

Well, now that that's out of the way, on to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 18—Trouble In Paradise

"Settle down, you two!" Buddy yells. The reason? Only Rikku and Brother, who have been arguing point and counterpoint for the past 15 minutes about our next destination.

"Aqlica sa!" Brother says, folding his arms. Rikku just pouts, as Yuna turns to Paine.

"Where do you think we should go?" she asks, and Paine just shrugs.

"We need to figure out what's going on in the temples. Djose is the closest one, so it might be a good place to start," she replies, and Yuna nods.

"Good thinking...everyone agree?" Yuna says, looking around the room. I simply nod, the others nodding as well. "Alright, then let's go!" she says excitedly, as Buddy gives a thumbs up and begins to pilot the Celsius towards the temple of Djose. Silently, I turn and step out of the bridge, headed for the deck once again.

* * *

"This is just crazy...Darius has the sphere that can control aeons, we've got two other people that appear and disappear whenever they feel like it, and apparently, there's more to the fayth than I originally thought." Muttering, I yawn for a moment, before sighing.

"I feel like I'm being left out of the loop. There's something I'm missing, one key thing...one thing that would clear all of this up. But I can't figure it out for the life of me."

"_Maybe you're not looking hard enough," _Shuyin's voice replies to me. Just who I don't need to help.

"Maybe."

"_Pretty soon, it's not going to matter. You know that."_

"Quit playing mind games with me. You're not getting away with this," I retort.

"_Am I? I think I will. I don't think you have what it takes," _he sneers back, and I just remain calm.

"We took Sin down. That's all the proof I need to know in my mind that we can _wipe you off the face of Spira_," I spit back, smirking. Shuyin is silent for a moment, and I chuckle. "What's wrong? No witty response?"

"_Rest assured, soon I'll be the one laughing," _he tells me, leaving my mind once again.

"Well, we're close," I say, seeing the land change from the grassy land near the Mi'ihen Highroad to the dry, rocky land near Djose Temple. As I step back to the elevator, it suddenly opens, revealing the smiling face of Rikku.

"Hey, I've been looking for you! Yunie said that we're almost to Djose," Rikku says, and I nod.

"I saw. I was headed back inside."

"Okay!" she says, stepping back to let me inside the elevator, as we head down and prepare to land at Djose Temple.

* * *

Djose Temple. The temple of lightning, and now the new home to some of the Al Bhed. After their home was destroyed two years ago, most of the Al Bhed relocated to various places. A small group of them moved into the temple, and eventually took the name of the Machine Faction. The group has gotten bigger, but it still isn't as big as New Yevon or the Youth League.

"Hey, it's Cid's little girl!" Gippal shouts, seeing the four of us approach. Rikku walks up to him, smiling, and he shoves her back a little, playfully.

"I have a name..." she says, still smiling.

"You seem close," Yuna says, and Gippal nods.

"We made quite the couple," he replies. Now, it's Rikku's turn to shove Gippal.

"Fryd yna oui cyoehk?" she asks, Gippal merely chuckling in response, before speaking.

"Rikku's always good for a laugh," he says, turning to Yuna. "If you're here about digging, this isn't the best time."

"Well, there were fiends here too, right?" Rikku asks, not waiting for Gippal to answer. "Want us to clean up for you?"

"Fiend hunting?" he asks, looking at Rikku again, before turning to Yuna. "What, you guys give up the sphere gig?"

"Temporarily. Right now, we're helping people out," Yuna replies. "Maybe...you'd like to hire us?" Gippal seems to pause for a moment, thinking the offer over, before he shakes his head.

"Nope. You already took care of Sin," he says, looking between me and Yuna for a moment. "We can't go running to you every time we get into trouble." Stepping forward to Yuna, he looks down into the shorter girl's eyes. "I watch my own back." I just ignore Gippal's attitude. Rikku, however, doesn't.

"Hmph. Show-off!" she says, Yuna simply nodding to Gippal.

"Well, be careful," Yuna tells him, and he nods.

"You too," he replies.

"Right," Yuna says, Paine motioning to her to head back to the Celsius.

"Come on," Paine says to all of us, beginning to walk back. I stop for a moment, turning to Gippal as everyone else starts back to the Celsius.

"What?" he asks.

"Do me a favor. If you see a kid in a long, brown coat around here anywhere...let me know. As soon as you possibly can," I say. Gippal just shrugs.

"Alright, fine. I'll let you know," he replies, heading back inside the temple. Quickly, I run back to the Celsius, heading inside to meet up with everyone again.

* * *

As I enter the bridge, I'm met by Rikku, who pulls me over to where Yuna and Paine are standing before I can react.

"Wha-hey, what are you doing?" I ask, confused for the moment.

"Guadosalam or Macalania?" Yuna asks, and I quirk an eyebrow.

"What now?"

"Where to next? Guadosalam, or Macalania?" Yuna repeats, the question now making sense.

"Hm...well, we never did figure out where Leblanc and her group went after we left Bevelle...maybe we should go to Guadosalam and see," I reply, looking over at Yuna.

"Sounds good," she says, turning to Buddy. "You heard him, let's go!"

"You got it!" he says, the Celsius shaking before lifting off once again. Sighing, I sit down in one of the chairs on the bridge, silently waiting for the Celsius to land at Guadosalam.

A while later, the Celsius lands outside Guadosalam, all four of us stepping out and looking up at the large tree containing the hidden city. Macalania Woods lies behind us, and I turn to look at the woods. They're beginning to look worse, slowly but surely, and I sigh. Soon, I know, all of this beauty will be nothing more than a memory. Yet another to add to the ever growing collection.

"Are you coming?" Paine asks, and I turn, nodding.

"Yeah. Sorry."

Quickly, I follow the trio of girls into the city, heading for the manor at the back. Nodding at us, the guard at the front steps aside to allow us entry to the large building. When we enter, the first thing we can see is Logos and Ormi, standing in the living room.

"Leblanc, there's nothing to worry about," Ormi says, sounding different than usual. Apparently, he's trying to mimic someone's voice.

"Not even close."

And failing, according to Logos. Ormi just scoffs, looking up at the taller man.

"Let's see you do it, then." Logos clears his throat, before speaking.

"Leblanc, there's nothing to worry about." Ormi just starts to laugh upon hearing his partner speaking.

"Look who's talking!" he says, chuckling.

"What are you doing?" Yuna says, causing both Logos and Ormi to turn to us.

"The boss has been rather...depressed since Nooj went missing," Logos explains.

"We wants to comfort her, see?" Ormi adds.

"Oh, was that supposed to be Nooj?" Rikku asks, and Logos nods.

"That bad, was it?" he asks.

"Yup," Yuna and Rikku say simultaneously. Logos and Ormi just look down, sighing.

"Even if you did sound like Nooj, do you think it would actually help?" Paine asks, skeptical.

"It would!" Logos and Ormi reply.

"Whatever you say," Paine replies, shrugging.

"Think we should go talk to her? We might have some luck," I ask, and Logos shrugs, pointing to her room at the top of a set of stairs.

"You can try, but I doubt you'll have any more luck than we have." Nodding, the four of us ascend the stairs leading to Leblanc's room. Another goon is in front of the door, and he turns to us as we approach.

"Maybe the threat of a little competition would help bring the boss's fight back?" the goon asks, having overheard our conversation.

"Maybe," I reply, as Yuna opens the door, stepping inside. The three of us quickly follow, to see Leblanc sitting in a chair and looking quite depressed.

"Leave me alone," she says, upon seeing the four of us.

"Don't you want to hunt some spheres?" Rikku asks, smiling slyly. "The Gullwings are gonna get all the spheres in Spira, you know."

"Fine by me," Leblanc replies, tiredly. "There's no point in chasing after spheres if my Noojie-Woojie isn't there to smile. What difference does it make?"

"You're a mess," Paine says simply. Leblanc just sighs, shrugging.

"Say whatever you want."

"We might as well leave. If she wants to do nothing, that's her choice," I say, stepping out of the room. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine follow after a moment, shutting the door behind them as we descend the stairs again.

"Any luck?" Logos asks, and I shake my head.

"Nothing. She's really out of it." Logos sighs again, before Ormi suddenly looks over at all of us, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What if we showed her a sphere of Nooj?" he asks.

"Why ask us?" Paine replies. "Go for it."

"Of course!" Logos says, snapping his fingers. "That sphere! We took one in Bevelle. Care to watch it?" he asks.

"What's on it?" Yuna asks in response, to which Logos shrugs.

"We haven't looked yet," he says. "Meet us in our room. We'll have a little screening!" Quickly, the two walk towards the secret panel in the back of the dining room, all of us following. Logos presses the button, the panel spinning around to lead us into the secret passage, before the two of them walk down a side hallway. The four of us walk down the main hall, headed to Logos' and Ormi's room. Stepping inside, we quickly sit down on the beds, as Logos and Ormi walk in a minute later. Each of them has one sphere in hand.

"Let's see...this should be it," Logos mutters, fumbling with the sphere for a moment before turning it on. The sphere fades in on the underground part of Bevelle, showing Yuna and our group leaving. The sphere pans around some to show more of the underground, before fading out again.

"This must be a dud," Logos says, putting the sphere aside.

"Who you calling a dud!" Rikku exclaims, and I just chuckle.

"Now, now, settle down. There's another sphere, you know," I tell her, and she rolls her eyes at me, as Ormi turns the next sphere on. This one also fades in on Bevelle, but as this sphere pans around, a figure can be faintly seen.

"There's someone there!" Yuna exclaims, pointing at a part of the sphere as Ormi pauses it.

"Really? Where, where?" Rikku says, looking carefully.

"I'll zoom in," Logos says, pressing a few buttons on the sphere, which causes it to zoom in on the figure.

"It's Nooj!" Rikku exclaims, as Ormi unpauses the recording, which pans for a moment longer before fading out. "What was he doing there?" she asks.

"I don't like it." All eyes turn to Paine at this statement.

"What?" Yuna asks.

"All these secrets. It's just one thing after another," she replies.

"If I may," Logos says, interrupting. "You're free to do as you please, but I'd prefer you not mention this to the boss."

"Why not?" Rikku asks Logos.

"Whatever this Vegnagun thing is, it's clearly dangerous," Logos replies, looking over at Rikku. "Nothing the likes of which we sphere hunters have any business fooling around with. But if the boss knew Nooj were involved, well, there'd be no stopping her. If anything were to happen to here..." Logos trails off at this, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"You guys got it rough, don't you?" Rikku asks.

"If only she noticed," Logos replies, sighing.

"Is this one from Bevelle, too?" Yuna says, holding up another sphere taken off of a dresser.

"Ooh, been taking naughty pictures again?" Rikku teases. I just facepalm at her antics, as Logos looks over at Yuna.

"I didn't shoot this one," he says, stepping over and taking the sphere from Yuna. "I found it." Silently, he turns the sphere on, frowning at the slightly fuzzy and faded picture. "The image is badly deteriorated. Must be old." The image in question is a cell or cage of some sort, sitting in the middle of a small, dark room. There's a figure in the cage, but at the moment, we can't see who.

"Bah! The only reason the war's dragging on is because Zanarkand refuses to surrender," the holder of the sphere says, stepping towards the cage. Apparently, he's a guard of some sort. As the guard gets closer, the figure in the cage becomes clearer, revealed as the same person shown in the sphere that Yuna has.

"You're wrong!" he shouts. "If you'd stop attacking, there wouldn't be a war!"

"We're not falling for that," the guard replies, stepping back from the cage. The figure inside continues to glare at the guard, before slumping a little, looking down at the ground.

"Someday...your precious weapons will end up destroying you," he says, sinking back to the floor as the image begins to fade out.

"He's probably referring to the Machina War of a thousand years past," a voice behind us says. As we all turn, the source of the voice is revealed to be Maechen, who steps inside the room.

"When did you sneak in, old man?" Logos asks, Maechen simply ignoring his query.

"Would you like to hear more?" he asks, and Yuna nods.

"Please go on," she tells him.

"Lady Yuna, a rumor has been going around of late. Perhaps you've heard it. They say that High Summoner Yuna was accompanied by a guardian from, of all places, Zanarkand!" Logos and Ormi listen attentively, as Maechen continues. "Oh, yes, that young man raised quite a few eyebrows at the blitzball tournament in Luca. I spoke to him myself on a number of occasions. I could sense that he belonged to an otherworld. That he should look so much like the man in that sphere cannot be mere coincidence, I should think."

"There's a connection," Yuna says simply, and Maechen nods.

"There is. I would very much like the chance to ask him, and clear this matter up once and for all." Yuna looks down at the floor for a moment at that, before speaking.

"But...he's gone. Just like the fayth said, 'Our dream will vanish.'"

"A dream of the fayth?" Maechen asks, suddenly looking thoughtful. "Is that right..." Maechen seems to think for a moment, before snapping back to attention. "Oh, my!"

"What is it?" Rikku asks, tilting her head in confusion.

"I had something on the tip of my tongue. But then it slipped away...something very important..." he mutters. "Frustrating. Well, I suppose I'll just have to think on it a little more. Until next time, Lady Yuna. We are all connected. There may yet be a way to reunite with those who have gone." At that last statement, Yuna stands up quickly from her position on the bed.

"What?" she asks, eyes wide.

"Watch what you say," Paine says sharply.

"Forgive me," Maechen replies. "Consider it the ramblings of an old man."

"Thank you, Maechen," I say, nodding to the man, before standing up. "Let's get out of here."

"I agree. We've found out a little more now," Paine says. "No sense in staying."

"Thank you for your help," Yuna says to Logos and Ormi, who nod.

"Maybe the boss will come to her senses soon," Logos says, stepping aside to let us exit.

* * *

So, the plot continues to thicken...just what does Maechen know? As always, please read and review!


	19. Chapter 19: Clarity

Another chapter finished...and this is one of my favorites to date, even though it took me a while to start it. Onward and upward...er...just onward to the replies...darn cue cards misleading me...

Neassa: Thank you. I don't need any more OCs for Eternal Requiem, but I'll be sure to let you know if I happen to unexpectedly.

Iron Reaver: Bah. I can't add an extra letter every now and then? And Darius...don't count me out of the running yet, ya jerk.

Shadowkiller27: Not really, considering that guns haven't really stopped any of us from attacking BEFORE...hehe.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Yeah. Drante knows he'd get rocked. He knows his place. (smirk)

XxCougarxX: (raises hand) It's not unheard of, ya know. And yes, old people have that annoying habit of forgetting things at critical times. But it's not their fault.

Alright, now that that's settled and done with...on to the chapter of great justice! ...(goes to find the person writing the cue cards)

* * *

Chapter 19—Clarity's Echo

"Have you found out anything else about the happenings at the temples?" I ask Buddy, who shakes his head.

"Not yet. No one really seems to know any more about this than we do," he replies. Nodding, I look over at Yuna, who sits quietly in one of the chairs on the bridge. Apparently, what Maechen said about 'reuniting with those who have gone' affected her quite a bit. I can't really say I'm surprised, though.

"Yuna, are you okay?" I ask, causing her to look up at me.

"Hm?" she says, before realizing what I had asked. "Oh...I'm fine," she replies.

"Sure?"

"I'm sure," she says, standing up as Paine walks over.

"So, where's our next destination?" Paine inquires, looking between the two of us.

"Um...how about Macalania?" Yuna asks, thinking for a moment. "It's the closest temple to where we are. We might be able to see what's happening there."

"Sounds like a plan," Paine states, stepping towards the door. Sighing, I step to follow Paine, yawning as I do so. Despite it being barely after noon, I'm unusually tired for some reason. Dismissing it as a result of all the fighting and action that's been happening lately, I walk out of the bridge with Yuna right behind me. As the two of us step onto the elevator, Yuna looks at me with a concerned glance.

"Ben, are _you _okay?" she asks, now on the other end of the conversation we just had.

"I'll be fine," I respond, as the elevator stops, Rikku's smiling face stepping on and allowing the door to close once again.

"If you say so..." Yuna says, apparently not wanting to bother me too much with it.

"Say so about what?" Rikku asks, confused.

"It's nothing. Yuna thinks there's something wrong with me, but I'm just tired," I tell Rikku, summing it up quickly. Of course, I'm simply trying to get out of the conversation so as not to make Rikku worry. Rikku just furrows a brow at me in response, as the elevator slows to a stop at the exit, opening to reveal Paine standing there.

"Ready?" she asks the three of us, and we all nod our agreement, before stepping out and beginning the trek towards the woods.

* * *

"What do you mean by that?" Rikku yells. It's actually more of a yell mixed with a whine, to tell the truth. For the last few minutes, Yuna and I have been joking with Rikku. Unfortunately for her, Rikku's been the target, for lack of better words.

"Nothing...nothing at all..." Yuna replies, an innocent grin on her face as we round the corner that leads to the travel agency. Suddenly, the four of us stop dead in our tracks, and stare at the building. Or rather, at the fiends attacking it.

"The agency!" Rikku exclaims, pointing at the building which has ice frozen over on parts of it, likely the result of Blizzard magic.

"Fiends? Here?" Yuna asks, a bit surprised. After all, fiends usually stay around territorial areas that they claim. The agency was away from where most fiends were, so that only leaves one way they could be here.

"Must be from Macalania Temple," Paine says, confirming all of our suspicions. "The fact that it's underwater doesn't seem to matter."

"We can worry about why later!" Rikku urges, spinning. "Yunie!"

"We have to help them!" Yuna says, nodding to Rikku.

"And our fee?" Paine asks, not taking her eyes from the fiends.

"I'll pay you myself! How's that?" Rikku says quickly, before Yuna nods and begins to run towards the attacking fiends. We all follow and split up, hoping to deal with the fiends as quickly as possible. Looking to my right, I see a Flan Blanco fiend cast a Blizzara spell on the agency, a large icicle embedding itself into the side of the building. A Barbuta fiend snarls, and moves to join the Flan, before I charge, raising my sword high and slashing down into the Flan.

The sword makes an unpleasant 'squish' as it enters the fiend's jelly-like body, and it looks at me before blasting me in the face with a Blizzard. Dazed, I stumble back, letting go of my sword in the process. The Barbuta fiend takes the opportunity to charge, slamming me hard in the chest and knocking me off my feet to land on my side. Stars dance around my vision as I try to stand back up, spherechanging to Black Mage in the process.

"Fira!"

My magical attack strikes the Flan, causing it to wail in agony as the fire spell eats away at it. I take that moment to grab a Hi-Potion, gulping it down quickly as the flames lick at the fiend. When the attack finishes, all that's left are pyreflies of the Flan fiend. The Barbuta turns to me, and I gulp, spherechanging back to Warrior and running towards the fiend. As it moves for another charge, I leap up and on top of the fiend, now riding the fiend's rocky back. As it tries to shake me off, I jump and land in a roll, springing up and reclaiming my sword. Smiling, I begin to focus energy into the sword as the fiend turns to face me again.

"You will hurt no one!" I cry, slamming my sword into the fiend's side with my Power Break attack. The fiend groans, before I viciously kick it in the face, causing it to flinch. Using that as an opening, I stab my sword into the fiend's soft underside, ripping the sword out and repeating the motion. The fiend shrieks and tries to slap me away with its large hands, but I duck and slice outwards, cutting a large gash into the creature. Jumping back, I again focus energy into the sword blade, enchanted fire beginning to surround the weapon.

"Burn! Flametongue!" I yell, slashing down across the fiend, which falls over onto its back and groans. Slumping, the fiend dissipates into pyreflies, and I move to check on Yuna and the others.

"You guys okay?" I ask, and the three of them walk over, pyreflies fluttering around everywhere from the fight.

"We're fine," Yuna replies. Rikku just stands there, pointing at something behind me.

"Um...what is that...?" she stammers, and I slowly turn to face whatever she's pointing at. As soon as I do, I pale, wishing I hadn't even looked. The thing in question is a powerful looking Chimera-type fiend, and it looks angry. Roaring a challenge, the Rhyos approaches quickly, bending over to allow its snake-like tail to hiss at the four of us. All of us step back, and I grip my sword tightly as lightning crackles around the fiend's tail. A Thundara attack suddenly fires, lancing into all four of us. Rikku gives a short cry, as does Yuna, before they kneel down on the ground, apparently still injured from the fight before.

Glancing between the fiend and the two girls, I quickly put my momentary fear of the fiend aside and drop into a fighting stance, charging the fiend as fast as I can. Paine joins me, but the fiend simply opens its mouth, spewing out a cloud of water which slams into us and pushes us back. Grimacing, I turn to Paine.

"We're gonna have to use our specials," I state, to which Paine nods. As the both of us begin to spherechange into our special dresspheres, the Rhyos fiend begins to gather a ball of fire in its left hand. Before it can throw it at us, however, a flurry of bullets smash into its hide, forcing it to cancel the attack. As the light around us dims, I smile back at Yuna, who is standing there with an angry look on her face. A cry from Paine turns my attention back to the fight.

"Wisenen!" she yells, cutting into the fiend with her sharp talons. The fiend bellows in pain, before calling up the ball of flame again. Quickly, it smashes the fiery attack into Paine, before turning to me. As Yuna and Rikku run up beside the two of us, I draw both my swords and level them at the fiends, setting my stance.

"Renzokuken!" As I yell my attack, I leap from my spot, going into a relentless assault on the fiend. Yuna fires rapidly behind me, and Rikku runs to join me, her daggers cutting into the soft legs of the Rhyos. It growls, before sweeping a powerful arm at us and throwing us away. Paine runs in again and slashes down at the fiend's neck, hoping to end the fight right now, but the fiend twists slightly and takes the attack in the chest. Even with that, the magical darkness from Paine's attack begins to cloud the fiend's vision. Yuna blasts a glowing bullet at the fiend, damaging it further with the Enchanted Ammo attack, as Rikku runs back in and slashes twice more.

"Fated Circle!" Quickly, I launch the energy wave from my blades, which impacts the fiend with a small explosion. Paine sees a chance to capitalize, and darts in with her talons extended. The fiend can't see to move, and Paine's slash lands right across the fiend's neck, sending it to the ground in a heap as pyreflies slowly begin to float from the body. Sighing in relief, Paine and I spherechange back to our Warrior dresspheres, before turning towards the agency.

The entire front of the agency is covered in a coat of frost and ice from the Blizzard magic used by the Flan fiends. Icicles hang from the roof, and a few small icicles are speared completely through the door, failed attempts by the fiends to get inside. A Blizzara-created icicle is stuck in the side of the building, but other than that, there's no structural damage to the agency.

"Let's make sure everyone's okay in there," I say, running towards the front door as everyone follows. Yanking the door open, I can see an Al Bhed inside, gasping for breath. He's bloody, and I can tell he had tried to save the agency before being forced to barricade himself inside. Other bodies are lying on the ground, as well. As we approach, the Al Bhed slumps to the floor, unable to support himself on the counter any longer.

"Fryd fyc ed? Dryd rika cryba, taab fedreh dra myga. E fiend...machina?" he mumbles. Quickly, we move over to him, Rikku already pulling out a Potion.

"Don't talk," she says. "Save your strength."

"Dyga drec," he says, reaching into his pocket and handing Rikku a sphere. "E vuiht ed rayn dra myga." With that, the Al Bhed lets out a final breath and slumps over, dead. Sadly, Yuna shakes her head, as footsteps are heard behind us.

"Ah!" the voice of O'aka the twenty-third says, as we all turn to see him standing inside the doorway, looking inside the shop with a clear expression of shock. "What's happened to me shop?" Quickly, he runs over to the now-deceased Al Bhed and shakes him. "Come on, lad, I've come to give back the money I owe ye! Ye can't die before I pay ye back! Think of me reputation! I'm begging ye!" O'aka stands up from the Al Bhed, looking somewhat angry now. "Now look what ye've done! Disgrace! Disgrace on the O'aka name!"

Silently, I step out the door of the shop with Yuna and the others right behind me, fully intent on leaving the horrid scene behind. Just as we move to leave, however, O'aka steps out the door.

"I think you'll get more fiends than customers," Paine tells O'aka, who stands there with his arms folded.

"Then I'll just have to start selling to fiends, won't I?" he retorts. "I owe it to those lads who died defending me shop, and I'll not be letting 'em down. Ye will come and stop in once in a while, won't ye?" Yuna simply gives a nod, and we step away, O'aka giving one final statement as we depart.

"Mark me words, I'll stand by this shop, whatever may come."

* * *

"Such a horrible sight..." I hear Yuna say silently, as we step back inside the Celsius.

"I know. And to think, the fiends came all the way from Macalania Temple...the entire place is underwater," I say, before freezing. "Wait. Macalania..."

"What is it?" Paine asks, and I turn to face the three of them.

"Macalania. They went from the temple back towards the woods...what if they went towards the Calm Lands, too?" I ask, watching their faces go from neutral to an expression of fear.

"Oh, no...all those people..." Yuna says, running towards the elevator. All four of us dash inside the elevator, the machina unable to move fast enough for our tastes. As the doors open, we rush inside the bridge, Yuna looking over at Buddy.

"Buddy, get us to the Calm Lands!" she yells, and Buddy nods, hearing the urgency in her voice. The Celsius shudders, lifting off and taking off for the Calm Lands, as Yuna crosses her fingers and looks out the window. Paine steps over, putting a hand on Yuna's shoulder.

"We'll get there in time. Don't worry," she says, and Yuna sighs.

"I sure hope so..."

* * *

Mere minutes later, the Celsius passes overhead the Calm Lands, looking for a place to land. From our vantage point in the bridge, we can see people running out from the gorge, and Yuna spins to Buddy.

"Take us down, there!" she says, pointing beside the gorge.

"Roger!" he replies, the Celsius beginning to land beside the massive chasm dividing the Calm Lands. Before the Celsius has even hit the ground, we're all running for the exit, hoping to get down there as quickly as possible. After what seems like a half hour, but is closer to a minute, the Celsius finally lands. The four of us run out of the exit, headed for the gorge as people shout around us in panic. Dashing down the strip of land leading down into the gorge, we come across people still running out of the cave.

"Fiends, from deep in the cave!" one man exclaims, gasping for breath.

"There are still some people trapped inside! There's nothing we can do to help them..." one man says, looking over at some of the other people around.

"Please, won't you help us rescue the people left behind?" an old lady asks Yuna, pleading eyes staring up into Yuna's different-colored ones.

"All right, we'll help," she tells the woman, who bows.

"You are most kind," the woman says, as the four of us run into the cave. As we enter, the first thing we see is small groups of pyreflies flittering around, the cave eerily lit by their mere presence.

"What is this place?" Paine asks Yuna, who stops and turns to face her friend.

"It's called the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth," she replies. "I heard Lulu and Wakka talking about it once...this is where the first summoner that Lulu guarded died. Her name was Lady Ginnem...I don't know much else about her. Lulu didn't like to speak of it much."

"I just want to get out of here...this place gives me the creeps..." Rikku mutters, and I look around, seeing no danger at the moment. A shriek from around the corner catches my attention, and we dash around the turn to see a lady and a man, backed up against the wall by a wolf-like fiend. Before the fiend knows what's happening, however, it finds a sword in its skull, courtesy of Paine. As the fiend bursts into pyreflies, Yuna turns to the couple.

"Get out of here, quickly!" she says, and the pair nods, dashing back for the entrance.

"We need to hurry...or else the fiends just might have a snack," I say, running ahead with my sword now in hand. The trio of girls follow me, and we soon come across another group of people, two men, a woman, and a small girl, huddling in a corner. Three bat-like fiends hover around them, intent on attacking, before one suddenly falls from the sky, Yuna holding her pistols out at arm's length. Quickly, I run and rebound off the stone wall, leaping higher into the air and impaling one of the fiends through the wing, dragging it down to the ground with me. Before it can pry itself loose, I raise the sword and stab it straight through the top of its head, killing it. Paine runs up and leaps into the air, cleaving into the final fiend hard, which falls lower to the ground. Rikku rips through this one with a series of slashes, and the woman breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, all of you!" she exclaims, and I nod.

"Just get out of here," I reply, looking down the corridor ahead of us. The four people nod and begin to run out of the cave, as I walk towards the chamber I'm facing. A small pad lies on the ground in front of the back wall, and I kneel down to take a look.

"Another teleport pad," I say, turning back to the girls. A small light on it glows, facing towards the wall, and I look over at Yuna. "Should we go?"

"Yes," she says, stepping onto the pad. Rikku, Paine, and I also do the same, as we all disappear in a flash of light.

When we open our eyes, we find ourselves in another chamber, slightly larger than the one we were just in. Pyreflies float in front of a large hole in the back of the room, and before our eyes they begin to coalesce into a being of some sort. After a moment, we have a tall, reddish-orange garbed being in front of us, with a smaller dog-like creature at his side. A flat, wide brimmed hat of some sort covers his head, and a katana sheath is strapped to his side. The being stares at us for a moment with its green eyes, before slowly drawing its katana.

"Oh boy...Yojimbo..." I mutter, looking over at the aeon. "Sword-fighting with an aeon...this'll be good."

_(Play FF8 theme Don't Be Afraid)_

"Please, tell me! Why is this happening?" Yuna cries, the aeon ignoring her pleas. Before any of us can react, Yojimbo moves across the room with blinding speed, his katana coming down at Yuna.

"Move!" Paine yells, pushing her out of the way and raising her sword, the blade of Yojimbo's katana striking with a metallic clang. Paine struggles to hold the aeon's sword back, and Rikku and I run over quickly.

"Leave her alone!" I yell, bringing my sword upward towards the aeon's chest. Yojimbo slaps Paine's sword aside and blocks mine in one smooth motion, before his dog leaps at Rikku, forcing her to defend herself. Yuna steps away from the powerful samurai, leaving Paine and I to engage it in melee.

"Take this!" Paine yells, slashing upwards, the telltale glow of the Armor Break skill on her sword. Yojimbo takes the attack in the chest, and steps back a few steps, before his sword begins to glow with a white light. I'm almost enchanted by the beauty of the attack, but I snap back into reality as Yojimbo makes his move. Taking one step forward, the aeon suddenly moves into a full sprint and spins, his sword flashing down as fast as lightning. One moment, Paine is standing a few feet beside me, and the next she's lying easily 7 feet behind where she was with a ragged gash in her chest. Fear grips me, true, heart-stilling fear, as I realize what the attack was.

"Zanmato..."

The next thing I hear is a cry of rage, as bullets begin slamming into Yojimbo, causing the aeon to step backwards again and defend against the barrage. The source of the attack is none other than Yuna, who has a death glare on her face from seeing Paine stricken down. Rikku is still dealing with Yojimbo's dog, but looks to be getting the upper hand now. Quickly, I move to Paine's body, pulling out one of my few Phoenix Downs and pouring the magical elixir over her wound, before standing up, spherechanging into Black Mage.

"You'll regret that...Fira!" I yell, the magical attack missing as Yojimbo nimbly dodges. "Thundara!" My next spell strikes him in the shoulder, but is only a glancing blow, as he turns to me again. Before I can move, Yojimbo dashes up to me and strikes, sending me to the ground with a long cut across my abdomen. I'm momentarily stunned by the speed and force behind the attack, before slowly standing up, blood seeping from the cut. I can see Paine standing back up now as well, the wound on her body having healed. Yuna is peppering the powerful samurai with bullets from both of her pistols in an effort to keep Yojimbo from moving. Quickly, I focus, calling up another spell.

"Watera!" The water magic hits Yojimbo's dog this time, giving Rikku the opening to slash it in the face. The dog jumps back with a whimper of pain, and Yojimbo turns to Rikku. As he steps back, my eyes go wide as I realize what he's about to do.

"Rikku, _move!_" I cry urgently, running towards her in the hopes of blocking the attack. Just before I get there, however, Yojimbo appears in front of Rikku, the Zanmato attack blasting her off her feet and over to the wall. I freeze for a moment, staring at the path of dust left by my girlfriend's travel along the dirt, before turning an icy-cold gaze to the aeon.

"No one does that to her..." I growl, my eyes narrowing as I begin to spherechange into my special dressphere, fully intent on making Yojimbo regret ever stepping into our path. As the spherechange finishes, Yuna and Paine move to tend to Rikku, the former kneeling down beside her to administer a healing potion while the latter takes a defensive stance in front of the duo.

"You want a fight? I'll give you one!" I scream, dashing towards Yojimbo with my swords drawn. Leaping high into the air, I bring both of them down hard, clashing against his single katana and struggling to overpower him. Furious, I bash him in the chest with my right foot, before jumping and kicking off of him, landing a short distance away.

"Fated Circle!"

Spinning in place, the energy wave flies at Yojimbo, who _slashes through it _with his sword. By the time he cuts through the attack, however, I'm roughly 2 feet from him. With a roar of anger, I stab outwards, both katanas embedding themselves into the aeon's chest. Leaving the swords there for the moment, I jump and spin in the air, spin kicking the aeon in the face. My attack rocks the aeon's head back, and I grab my swords again, sheathing one of them for the moment before launching three kicks into the aeon's side and shoulder. Yojimbo moves to attack again, but I block and counter, my sword sweeping his out of the way and cutting into his face.

Yojimbo staggers back, and I advance a final time, leaping up and burying both of my feet into his chest, turning my momentum into a backflip and finally sending the aeon off its feet. As Yojimbo's form dissolves into pyreflies, I sprint towards Rikku's position, spherechanging back to Warrior in mid-stride.

_(End FF8 theme Don't Be Afraid)_

"Are you okay?" I ask quickly, kneeling down to Rikku. Thankfully, Yuna managed to tend to her, and she's now sitting up against the wall of the cavern.

"I'm okay..." she murmurs, still a little shaken from the powerful attack. Looking over at Yuna, I breath a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," I say simply, and Yuna nods in reply, standing up and looking around at the room. Suddenly, she stops and walks towards the back of the room, looking down a massive hole with pyreflies flittering around it. Gently, I help Rikku up, before Paine, Rikku, and I move over to join Yuna.

"Hello?" Yuna says, kneeling down and staring into the blackness of the pit.

"Careful. Someone might answer," Paine replies. Silently, I gaze into the depths of the hole, before a stabbing pain makes itself known again in my stomach. Carefully, I take out a Potion and pour it over the cut, watching the magical item seal the cut over.

"Let's get back to the Celsius...I don't want to be in here any longer," I say, Yuna giving a final look at the mysterious pit before moving to exit the cave, Paine behind her. Sighing, I look over at Rikku again, before the two of us follow Yuna and Paine towards the entrance.

* * *

Where will the Gullwings go next? What's the connection between the mysterious pits? You'll just have to keep reading! As always, please read and review!


	20. Chapter 20: Tides Of War

It continues, finally. Beginning to move into the main plots now, and it's not going to be fun for our heroes. On to the replies!

Astral Slayer Asuka: He tried. But I wasn't about to give him a chance. (grin)

Iron Reaver: ...(cough) I'll say nothing. And yes, I will agree with Darius that Shuyin's just a _wannabe._ And personally, I thought the count was around 40 or so characters. Could be wrong, though. (shrug)

XxCougarxX: Yeah, Yojimbo is not to be crossed. I pay 3 Gil to him in battle...and he does 34,000 damage with Kozuka. I'm impressed.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: (hands some toast)

KamiKaze no Kage: Lenna. She just...comes and goes as she pleases. Later on, you'll see why she never hangs around for long. Shuyin...about the same. He usually talks to Ben when he's already agitated, in order to make him angrier. I'll try to insert more humor, but it'll be mostly dramatic moments from here on out, until near the end.

Ah, well. On to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 20—Tides Of War

My quick downward strike does nothing to delay the attacks of Paine, who has been sparring with me for the past half hour or so. It's become pretty regular, really. When we're not on missions, we'll come down here and spar for a while, until we get tired. Now, however, with the temples in chaos, we haven't had a chance to spar lately.

"Ha!"

The silence is broken once again by Paine's sword slashing out, to be met by my own blade in a vertical block. Jumping back, I switch the sword to where the blade faces behind me, before advancing again. Leaping in, I spin in the air to bring the sword full-circle, the edge slashing diagonally at the girl, who deftly blocks before jabbing an elbow into my ribs. The flat of her blade moves before I can stop it, and my vision blurs some as the sword connects with the top of my head.

"You're unfocused," Paine tells me, sheathing her sword. I simply nod over to her, shaking my head to clear it from the disorienting blow.

"I'm just a bit out of it. It'll pass," I reply, sheathing my sword. Paine gives me a skeptical look, but nods.

"Whatever you say," she says, stepping out of the hold. Sighing, I finally let myself collapse onto the bottom of the steps.

"Why am I so tired..." I mutter, rubbing a hand over my face. "I'm not sick, so that can't be it."

"_Perhaps you're just naturally weak," _Shuyin's voice replies. I look up...only to find myself staring face-to-face with a transparent image of Shuyin himself. Ignoring the tiredness for the moment, I stand up to look squarely at Shuyin.

"You'd know all about that weakness thing, wouldn't you, Shuyin?" I say, resisting the urge to smirk.

"_Cute," _he mutters, scowling. _"But you are weak. You were shown that by that boy, weren't you? Darius, I believe? He showed you your limits, and how low they really are. And you hate him for it, don't you?" _the ghostly form of Shuyin says, smirking.

"...This has nothing to do with him," I remark, eyes narrowed.

"_Oh, but on the contrary...it has everything to do with him. You want nothing more than to be the best...but you can't, so long as he remains in the way. To be the strongest, you have to get rid of him."_

"Shut up..."

"_But you can't. He's miles ahead of you in power, and you know that. It burns inside you, the way he humiliated you. You know that you don't stand a chance, and it eats away at your very being to know that you are nothing to him."_

"I said, shut up..." I growl, Shuyin's words beginning to strike a nerve.

"_The truth hurts, doesn't it? You know that you're nowhere near the level you once were...and even if you were, that you would fare no better."_

"Shut up!" I finally yell, grabbing my sword and slashing through the image of Shuyin. Shuyin simply begins to laugh, shaking his head. "You don't know anything about me!"

"_On the contrary...I know as much about you as you do. I can feel your emotions, I know how you think...and I can feel the hatred and resentment inside of you as clearly as if it was my own," _Shuyin replies, obviously content that he's angered me. My left hand is clenched into a fist so tightly that my palm is stinging from my nails digging into the skin, and so I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.

"You're right. I am nowhere near the level I once was. But I will get back there. I don't have a doubt in my mind that I can, and will, be just as powerful as I was two years ago. And when I am...I'm coming for you. There won't be anywhere to run, anywhere to hide, or anyone to save you. Just you, and me. And when that time comes...you'd better be ready." Shuyin just gives another chuckle at my little speech, before smirking.

"_Oh, rest assured...I will." _The image vanishes as quickly as it had appeared, leaving me alone in the cargo hold. Sighing, I put my sword away and exit the hold, deciding to head back to my room and calm down before the next mission. Unfortunately, that isn't to happen, as the first person I run into on the elevator is Yuna.

"There you are, Ben. We're going to head to Mount Gagazet, better get ready to go!" she says happily. I just tilt my head slightly in acknowledgment, causing Yuna to fold her arms.

"What's happening with you? You've been like this for a while now. What's wrong?" she asks, and I shift my gaze to her, eyes hardened into a glare.

"It's nothing, Yuna," I reply, a bit forcefully. "I can handle myself."

"Well, sorry!" she replies, somewhat angered by my harsh reply. Sighing, I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, before turning my attention back to Yuna.

"I'm sorry, Yuna," I say, as the elevator doors slide open near the exit of the Celsius. "I've just got a lot on my mind...and I guess it's stressing me out.

'_More like a madman planning to destroy the entire world toying with my feelings like a puppet, pulling the right strings to test my reactions," _I think to myself.

"Well...we're here if you need it, you know. You just need to open up more, tell us what's on your mind," she says, and I quirk an eyebrow.

"You sound like you're talking to Paine," I comment, and Yuna's face turns thoughtful for a moment, before she shrugs.

"You two have a lot in common, I guess."

"What's this about me?" Paine says, stepping up beside us with Rikku by her side. A casual, yet somewhat playful expression is on her face, and Yuna's face goes almost angelically innocent as she turns away, whistling softly to herself. I just chuckle, seeing a way to make Yuna quite uncomfortable.

"I think that Yuna over here thinks that I've got a crush on you, Paine..." I say, trying my hardest to keep my face level. The expression on Paine's face is absolutely golden, somewhere in between mute shock and utter disbelief. Rikku's face is wide-eyed and stunned beyond words, while Yuna's is now redder than most apples I've seen.

"I didn't say that! I just said that you two have a lot in common!" she sputters, and I turn to face her instead of Paine.

"Oh, so you're _trying _to get us together, is that it?" I continue, and Yuna fumbles for words, as Paine's expression turns to a hardened gaze as she steps over to Yuna. Finally allowing myself to smile, I step towards the exit of the Celsius, turning back to the three girls as I do so.

"Consider this a small measure of my revenge for putting me in a skirt," I say, smirking.

"I...I thought you'd forgotten about that!" Yuna stammers, causing me to chuckle.

"Oh...I forgive, and I forget...but I love playful revenge as well. You'd do well to remember that," I say, the grin on my face widening as I step out into the chilling air of Mount Gagazet. Yuna is quick to follow, and Rikku and Paine move after her quickly. Up ahead of us, Kimahri spots us and begins to head towards us, his usual impassive face now beset with a look of worry.

"What's going on, Kimahri?" Yuna asks, apparently noticing the look on her former guardian's face as well.

"Yuna must leave," he replies simply. "Ronso youth use force. Seek vengeance for fallen Ronso. Garik lead angry Ronso youth. Decide to take revenge on Guado. Garik go to battle. Now Garik climb peak, tell mountain battle plan."

"And you're just gonna wait here?" Rikku asks, looking up at the taller Ronso.

"Garik hear voice of mountain. Garik change mind. Kimahri hope so."

"And if he doesn't?" Paine questions. Kimahri sadly shakes his head at this, looking over at Paine.

"Kimahri stop Ronso youth."

"That's crazy," Yuna states, looking over at Kimahri.

"He's got a point, though, Yuna. What else can he do? He doesn't want war," I say, and Kimahri nods.

"Ben knows. Kimahri not want war between Guado and Ronso. Garik not see this. Go to battle, blinded by rage. Garik fall," Kimahri says quietly, glancing up at the peak of the mountain.

"There's still time," Paine interjects, looking at Kimahri. "Should we follow them?"

"We're going up," Yuna cuts in, not waiting for Kimahri's answer. "Maybe we can reason with him."

"If Yuna go, Kimahri think Garik listen," Kimahri agrees, nodding. "Maybe. If not, Kimahri deal with Garik."

"We'll take care of it. Don't worry, Kimahri," I reply, nodding to the former fellow guardian, before stepping towards the teleport pad. "Summit," I mutter, the pad enveloping me with light and depositing me on the summit of the mountain in the blink of an eye. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine quickly follow suit, reappearing beside me. Garik is nowhere to be seen on the long path, and I shrug, turning back to the trio.

"He must be up ahead," I state, turning back around and beginning to run up the trail. The three girls follow me up the narrow path, the snow causing us to slide slightly on the ground as we run. Sparing a glance to the left, I inwardly cringe upon seeing how high up we are.

'_Nope...still haven't gotten over my fear of heights yet...' _

A roar ahead of us suddenly causes us to snap to attention, and we begin to run slightly faster in order to find out the source. As I suspected, we come across Garik a moment later, standing in the middle of a large, open area on the summit. Two other Ronso are with him, though these are little more than kids. Still, either of them are easily larger than any of us.

"Ronso hold anger no longer!" Garik roars to both us, and seemingly the mountain."Ronso youth fearless. Go to battle with Guado!"

"And if I ask you not to go?" Yuna says calmly. Garik just snorts.

"Mountain tell Ronso to go!"

"What if you can't go?" Yuna asks, stepping up to Garik with a threatening edge to her voice. Quickly, she draws her pistols and aims them at Garik, who seems unfazed by the threat.

"Summoner not hold Ronso anger with puny arms," he states confidently. Slowly, I step up beside Yuna, drawing my sword and holding it beside me.

"One might not be able to...but two surely can," I retort, watching the trio carefully.

"If we do, you will stop this talk of vengeance," Yuna says defiantly, keeping a close eye on Garik. The two youths beside him tense, obviously ready for a fight.

"Very well, but Garik never fall!" Garik shouts to us, stepping into a fighting stance.

"Somebody's a few spheres short of a Garment Grid," I hear Rikku say behind me.

"Typical Ronso," Paine replies.

"Good point...but I was talking about Yunie and Ben," Rikku retorts, the two of them stepping up beside us with weapons drawn.

_(Play FF8 theme Force Your Way)_

"High Summoner Yuna! High Summoner Ben! Know true Ronso anger!" Garik roars, before charging at us. Quickly, we split up into teams to deal with the enemies. Rikku moves to attack one of the smaller Ronso, as do I, while Yuna and Paine begin to attack Garik. Quickly, I sheathe my sword again, not wanting to wound the small Ronso severely. Apparently, he seems to have no such inhibitions. Running at me, the Ronso opens with a devastating left hook that I'm barely able to block, the force still sliding me back a few inches and leaving my arm throbbing. Ignoring it, I snap a foot up into the Ronso's fur-covered side, which doesn't seem to do very much.

"Armor Break!" Paine yells, her sword flashing up and into Garik's face, barely nicking the Ronso's chest as he jumps away at the last moment. Moving deceptively quickly for a creature his size, Garik smashes an arm into Paine, before Yuna riddles him with bullets in a Trigger Happy attack.

"Stand still, why don't you!" Rikku yells, trying desperately to land a hit with her daggers on the Ronso youth that she's fighting. He seems to be dodging around her attacks, looking for a suitable chance to attack instead of blindly rushing in. After a moment, he seems to find it and charges in, lashing out at Rikku with a right cross that dazes her.

Giving a short cry, I jump back from the straight punch of the youth in front of me, before jabbing out twice with my right hand. The punches connect, but it almost feels like punching a wall to me, what with the thick skin and muscles of the Ronso. Taking a few steps backwards for breathing room to adjust my stance, I step into a mostly defensive stance as the Ronso advances again. Pouncing on me with the speed of a lion, the Ronso lashes out with a fur-covered arm, which I swat aside before striking out with my left arm. A solid strike connects with the Ronso's face, dazing him for a moment, which I use to high kick the Ronso in the chest. A retaliatory strike comes a moment later, the Ronso blasting me in the chest with a fist and sending me off my feet to the ground.

"Take that!" I hear Rikku yell, and look over to see the Ronso stumbling back, blood slowly dripping from several cuts along its arms and chest. Rikku seems to be more agile than the Ronso, and is now going on the offensive again to keep the Ronso off-balance. Meanwhile, Paine and Yuna have their hands full with Garik. Roaring, he opens his mouth and unleashes a torrent of fire, the Fire Breath attack scorching Paine and Yuna and forcing them to move away. Both of them grab potions and gulp them down, as I stand back up and prepare to attack again. Quickly spherechanging into Black Mage, I decide to try my hand with a magical assault.

"Fira!" I cry, the ball of flame smashing into the Ronso youth and forcing him back. Glancing over again, I can see Yuna now spherechanging, aiming her staff at Garik and casting a Thundara spell. The spell makes Garik flinch, but he stands tall, looking at Yuna and unleashing a spray of water. The Aqua Breath washes over Yuna and Paine, causing them to step back and sputter as the water hits them in the face. A cry of pain from the Ronso youth that Rikku is fighting causes me to glance over, and I can see him on the ground, obviously out of the fight. Rikku moves to join Paine and Yuna, as I turn back to the Ronso in front of me.

A moment later, I'm in the air, courtesy of a powerful uppercut from the youth. Landing on my back hard, I roll to my stomach and spit some blood onto the ground, standing up again slowly and painfully. Gritting my teeth, I cast another Fira on the youth, before spherechanging back to Warrior and pulling out my sword. Before he can attack again, I run up and slash downward, the Ronso taking the attack across the forearm in a block that cuts into his skin. Seizing the moment, I press the advantage, slashing quickly and repeatedly at the youth. The strikes begin to take their toll on the Ronso, though I'm not cutting deep in order to avoid severely wounding the youth. After a minute, the Ronso falls to his knees, admitting defeat.

Spinning to Yuna and the others, I look over to see Rikku and Paine striking fast and furiously at Garik while Yuna showers him with spells. Though Garik is indeed strong, he can't hope to defend against the strikes from all three girls, and falls to one knee.

_(End FF8 theme Force Your Way)_

"Enough vengeance, Garik," Yuna says, stepping over to the Ronso again. Garik gives what I can only assume is a sigh, and stands once more.

"Ronso keep word. Yuna defeat Garik in battle. Garik honor Yuna's wish. Not go to battle." With a wave of his hand, the Ronso youths walk away, leaving us alone with Garik on the summit.

"Thank you," Yuna says, looking up at the Ronso.

"Garik not need thanks," he replies, looking down. "Garik underestimate Yuna. Garik now understand he is weak in battle. Garik wait. Destroy Guado after he become better warrior."

Leaning over to Rikku, I roll my eyes. "I guess it's better than nothing," I whisper.

"Guess so," she whispers back, as Yuna steps back over to us.

"Come on, let's go let Kimahri know," she says, and we all begin to follow her back to the teleport pad.

* * *

Reappearing on the base of the mountain, the first thing I can see is Kimahri, talking with two other Ronso. As we approach, the Ronso walk away, Kimahri turning to us.

"Yuna stop Garik?" he asks, and Yuna nods.

"We beat him in battle. He said he wouldn't go to war yet, but wait until he was a better warrior," Yuna responds.

"At least he quit for the moment," I state, and Kimahri nods.

"Kimahri glad Garik fall. Garik learn discipline. Strength not all that matter to warrior. Warrior also learn control."

"Kimahri's got a point," I say, looking over at Rikku.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" she protests, and I chuckle.

"Just messin' with you," I reply, turning back to Kimahri. "We're glad we could help, Kimahri."

"Let us know if anything happens, okay?" Yuna asks, and Kimahri nods.

"Kimahri will," he states.

"Alright. Should we get back to the Celsius?" I ask.

"Why not," Yuna says. As I start to walk back towards the ship, however, I trip over something and wind up face-down in the snow. Spitting snow and ice out of my mouth, I stand back up to see Rikku giggling, as well as Yuna. Even Paine seems to be trying to hold a laugh back.

"Oops," Rikku says, smiling evilly, and I direct a playful glare in her direction.

"Oh, you're mine now..." I mutter, beginning to chase her. With a playful yelp, she sprints off towards the Celsius, with me not far behind. Yuna and Paine follow behind us, both of them laughing quietly at my misfortune.

* * *

I've found that Shuyin is one of my favorite characters to write, simply because he's so antagonistic towards Ben. Which makes it quite fun to write. Kimahri, on the other hand...hard. Up there with Barkeep. Anyhow. We are now around the halfway point of the story, so everything will start moving more smoothly now. As always, please read and review!


	21. Chapter 21: On Silver Wings

Well, college is certainly proving to be a dampening on my inspiration, what with book reports, confusing work, and tests practically every week. Still, I shall persevere. On to the replies!

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Yeah toast! And the shadow better not eat my face...I don't taste very good. (hides)

XxCougarxX: Well, that's why he's so much fun to write, of course. Just because he's such a jerk.

Shadowkiller27: I'm not going to say that, as I know there are plenty that beat me out by a mile.

KamiKaze no Kage: Hee...

Astral Slayer Asuka: Bah. To quote Auron, "You will hurt no one!" (grin)

Now, on to the island of Besaid!

* * *

Chapter 21—On Silver Wings

"Okay, okay, I give! Just lemme go!" Rikku cries. Her situation? Currently writhing in laughter on the floor as I tickle her severely. Yuna is sitting on the side of the stair railing, giggling madly at the sight in front of her, and Brother, Buddy, Shinra, and Paine are just shaking their heads. Grinning, I let my girlfriend up off the floor, and she desperately tries to compose herself.

"Are you two done?" Paine asks flatly, and I nod.

"Quite."

"...I thought you might not fit in here. Looks like you fit in just fine," Shinra comments, staring at me. Shrugging, I walk over and sit down in another of the chairs, before looking over at the young Al Bhed.

"Eh, I've always felt pretty comfortable around Yuna and Rikku. They're kinda like the sisters I never had," I reply, turning my attention to the front window of the bridge. Stretching, I lean back in the chair far enough to the point where I'm looking upside-down at Yuna, who's behind me. "Where to now?"

"Um...let's go back to Besaid," she replies, a tinge of worry in her voice. Snapping my head back to normal perspective, I spin around in the chair to face her.

"No problems here."

"Let's go, then!" Rikku chirps happily, waving a hand in the air.

* * *

Staring into the village of Besaid, I can't help but notice that it seems quiet. If fiends are coming out of the temples, we either aren't close enough to see yet, or this is an exception. Quickly, I follow Yuna and the others, Shinra and Buddy also stepping out of the Celsius and heading for the village. As we step into the village, I can see Lulu walking into her hut. Yuna follows the black mage inside, as well as Rikku and Paine, myself following after a moment.

"Guess who's back?" I say, chuckling some as I enter. Rikku just rolls her eyes as me as Lulu speaks up.

"I knew you couldn't stay away for too long," Lulu replies, a small smile on her face.

"Was that seriousness, or a joke?" I kid, a tiny bit surprised at the normally-serious Lulu kidding around.

"A little of both, I think," Yuna chimes in, and I shake my head.

"You've heard about the fiends?" Paine asks, and Lulu nods.

"It's...worrisome. For all the temples to suddenly begin spawning fiends...something greater is at work," she says, her dress of belts jingling slightly as she stands up.

"I take it Besaid's no exception, then?" I ask, to which she nods.

"Wakka and the others have been keeping the fiends contained inside the temple. Luckily, no one has been hurt."

"Guess Your Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings won't be needed," Buddy cuts in, causing me to jerk slightly at his sudden intrusion.

"Any fiends they missed may still be wandering around," Lulu says, looking at Buddy with her one uncovered eye. "Wakka and the rest split up to track them down. Give them a hand."

"The Gullwings are on the job," Buddy replies. "We'll even give you our special bargain price."

"That's nice," Lulu tells him, smiling slightly. Yuna just smiles sheepishly, looking over at her friend.

"Sorry, Lulu!"

"That's okay, it's all right," Lulu says, turning to face Yuna. "Now go. Take a look around. People in the village will feel better knowing you're here, Yuna." Nodding, Yuna steps outside, the rest of us quickly following. Outside, I can see Shinra setting up one of his new inventions, the CommSphere. Yuna and the others walk over to talk to him, but I head for the temple. If my suspicions are correct, then I know what else I'll find here besides fiends. Or really, I should say 'who' else. Before I can walk inside, however, the doors open to reveal Wakka and Beclem, who walk out. Clearly, they're arguing about something.

"What's there to decide, Wakka?" Beclem says, looking over at Wakka and folding his arms. "We can finish off the fiends right here and now."

"Burning down the temple is going too far!" Wakka protests, waving his hand through the air. Beclem just snorts.

"You have another suggestion?"

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine have walked over now, and are standing beside me, all four of us watching the two men argue.

"We have to do something," Beclem continues, his voice lowering some. "What if the fiends keep coming? Or maybe you don't mind putting your family in danger?"

"Hey!" Wakka shouts, glaring at Beclem. "All we gotta do is stop the fiends, ya?" Turning, Wakka runs back into the temple, Beclem sighing and following him back inside. Yuna and the others all look at me, and the four of us glance between each other before running into the temple after the duo. When we enter, the only one that we see is Beclem. Wakka is nowhere to be found. As if knowing what we're going to ask, Beclem steps over to us and begins to speak.

"Wakka's inside, fighting fiends," he explains, pointing to the Cloister of Trials. Seemingly exasperated, he lets out a sigh before continuing. "It would be so simple to burn this place down and take the fiends with it. Praying to them never did anyone any good. You're the ones who defeated Sin," he says, looking at myself and Yuna. "You should know."

"It would be simple," I reply, looking down at the ground. "But you know...we just can't do it. We've got memories here. Yuna earned her first aeon as a summoner here. I first met Yuna here. Yuna's lived here most of her life...and to burn this place down would mean burning a part of her memories." Beclem just stares at me, before shaking his head as I begin to walk up the steps to the Cloister of Trials.

"Going to help him? I won't wait much longer."

"You want to see it burn that badly?" Yuna asks, looking at Beclem.

"It's for the safety of the village," he replies, and now it's my turn to snort.

"For the safety of the village...or your own hatred?" I ask, stepping inside without waiting for a response.

Inside the Cloister of Trials, the place looks much worse than the first time I was here. Chunks of stone are missing from the walls, apparently from the fights against the fiends. Patches of ice and scorch marks from spells can also be seen, and I look around for Wakka. Wakka is nowhere to be found, though, and so the four of us begin to walk deeper into the trials.

After fighting our way through a few lesser fiends like Coyotes, we finally come across the elevator that leads down to the Chamber of the Fayth. Wakka is sitting on the floor near the elevator, leaning against the wall and holding his stomach.

"Wakka!" Yuna exclaims, running over to him.

"You okay?" Rikku asks, following.

"Just a few scratches, eh?" he replies, visibly wincing. "Nothin' to worry about."

"There are too many," Paine states, looking at the trio. "Let's get out while we can. The man was right. We have to use fire."

"No, we don't," I retort, looking over at Paine. "We're not going to have to burn this place down."

"Whatever's controlling the fiends must be down there," Wakka says, pointing to the elevator platform. "Take that bad boy out."

"And we won't need fire," Yuna says, happily.

"Fair enough," Paine replies, shrugging and walking towards the elevator with Yuna, Rikku, and I.

"Wakka, stay here," Yuna instructs, and Wakka stands up quickly, wincing again.

"Why?" he replies, sounding a bit disappointed.

"Wouldn't want you to overdo it, Daddy," Rikku jokes, and Wakka rolls his eyes, jogging onto the platform with us.

* * *

As the elevator stops, I can clearly see a mass of pyreflies floating around the back of the chamber. Along with the pyreflies is a very familiar face.

"I knew I'd find you here, Darius," I state, stepping forward to meet the boy. Darius turns from his position near the chamber door to face me, grinning widely.

"Well, well. Look who's here. If it isn't the high summoner wannabe."

"What was that?" I say, eyes narrowing.

"You heard me. Wannabe."

"Don't you ever get sick of mocking people?" I say, rolling my eyes and trying to remain calm.

"Don't _you _ever get sick of being an idiot?" he replies, smirking. Growling, I draw my sword, but Darius stops me, holding up his hand.

"Nuh uh...I want to introduce you to my friend," he says, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out the Sphere of the Fayth. As he holds it, the sphere begins to glow, and the pyreflies swarm around each other, melding into a very familiar form.

"An aeon?" Wakka asks in amazement.

"No...something's not right..." Yuna mutters, stepping forward.

"Wakka, stay back! It's not safe!" Rikku warns, stepping in front of the former captain.

"Valefor," Darius instructs, a cruel smile now on his face, "Attack." Valefor roars, floating in front of Darius, as he vanishes into thin air once again.

_(Play Star Ocean 3 theme Confidence in the Domination)_

"Yuna, get back!" I cry, as Valefor flies over and slashes at her. Thankfully, Yuna ducks under the strike, raising her guns to bear on the aeon quickly. Bullets smash into the underside of the bird-like creature, and Valefor screeches in pain, slashing its wings through the air in a Sonic Wings attack. The wind sends us all to the floor, ripping into us like a sharp blade. Standing back up, I notice a small tear in my shirt and wince, thinking how easily that could've been my skin.

"Armor Break!" I yell, dashing in and slashing at Valefor. It floats out of the way of my attack, though, and stabs at me with a talon. The talon rakes me in the shoulder and causes me to back off, as Paine runs in.

"Power Break!" she roars, slamming into the aeon's chest with her sword. Valefor gives a short cry of surprise before slashing through the air with another Sonic Wings attack, sending Paine to the dirt. A white bullet slams into the side of its head from Yuna, and Rikku runs at me, signaling something. Quickly, I realize what she wants to do, and I brace myself. Holding my hands out, I watch as she leaps into the air, before pushing her feet up and propelling her farther into the air. Turning around, I watch Rikku slash Valefor twice before landing on the ground underneath the aeon. Valefor growls, before spinning around and ascending higher into the air as a glyph forms in front of it.

"Uh oh..."

That's about all I manage to say before energy beams begin to rain from the glyph, the Energy Blast attack launching us all off our feet, Yuna crashing hard into a wall of the chamber. Grimacing, I reach for a potion, only to realize that I don't have any left. Thankfully, Rikku spherechanges to White Mage, weakly standing up and casting Cura on herself, before beginning to cast it on Yuna and Paine. I also stand up as a Cura spell washes over me, gripping my sword tightly and spherechanging into my other equipped dressphere. As the light clears, I now find myself in a rather interesting outfit. It's a tuxedo of sorts, blue in color, with a top hat adorning my head. The red symbol for the heart suit is on the middle of the coat as well as the top of each shoulder, and a trio of cards materialize in my right hand as I hold it out to my side, completing my Lady Luck dressphere.

"Spiffy..." I mutter, taking a second to view my new appearance, before focusing. The cards vanish as a duo of dice appear in my hands, and I throw them at Valefor. The dice roll a combined 6, causing 6 small beams of energy to fly from the dice and into Valefor. Valefor grunts a little as the cards reappear in my hand, and I watch as another burst of shots from Yuna strike the side of Valefor's head. Apparently angry now, Valefor flies up into the air again before launching a ray of light from its mouth. The ground under us explodes, making all of us fall once again due to the Energy Ray attack. Glancing over, I see Rikku get back up and begin to spherechange, her tiny form being replaced by the Machina Maw dressphere. Smiling, an idea begins to form in my head as I spherechange to Blade Knight.

"Rikku!" I yell, grabbing her attention. As she turns to me, I run and leap into the air, landing on top of her 'pet', before backflipping off and towards Valefor. Twisting in the air, I slash down, cutting a line down the front of Valefor's face before the aeon smashes me back into the wall.

"...I will never underestimate another one of these aeons...ever...again..." I mutter, shaking my head. I can see Paine striking at Valefor, the aeon staying just out of range so as to make Paine's attacks do little damage. Rikku fires her Howitzers at Valefor, the aeon screeching in pain and slashing down at Rikku, who jumps back at the last second. Slowly standing up again, I lean on one of my swords for support, before watching Valefor with a wary eye.

"Melee isn't much good...Valefor just flies up and out of the way. Yuna isn't doing much damage...Rikku seems to be the only one doing any damage right now. There has to be something I can do," I mutter, scanning my mental list of skills. Suddenly, the answer seems to hit me squarely between the eyes, in a manner of speaking. A small smile on my face, I slowly walk towards Valefor, Rikku still spraying the powerful creature with bullets from her Howitzers.

"Let's hope this evens things out," I say, sheathing one of my swords and focusing my energy. Valefor uses another Sonic Wings attack, hitting all four of us and pushing us back, before Rikku fires a missile directly into the aeon's face, stunning it. Seizing the opportunity, I utter two words, looking up at Valefor.

"Angel Wing."

White light surrounds me for a brief moment as a pair of white wings extend from my back, causing me to begin to hover over the ground slightly. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine stare at me for a moment, and even Valefor seems to take notice, as I feel my magical power dramatically increase. Not wasting any time, I propel myself into the air and aim a palm at Valefor.

"Fira!" The spell rockets towards the aeon, exploding in its face, as Rikku fires another pair of missiles at Valefor. Yuna chains the two attacks with another Trigger Happy attack, Valefor sinking lower to the ground as Paine charges in.

"Bye," she says simply, slashing the aeon across the head. Valefor gives a cry and thrashes around for a moment, before slumping to the ground and exploding into pyreflies. Sighing, I let myself float back down to the floor, thoroughly exhausted and intrigued at the same time. Dismissing my special dressphere, I collapse to the ground from the excessive use of energy.

_(End Star Ocean 3 theme Confidence in the Domination)_

"That was...I can't even describe that..." I mumble, blinking to re-focus my eyes. Rikku walks over and grabs my hand, helping me to my feet as I glance at the disappearing pyreflies.

"What...was that?" Rikku asks, and I stare dumbly at her for a moment before the question finally registers.

"...Another one of my skills. Apparently one that uses a whole bunch of energy, too..." I reply. Paine steps over to us, grabbing a potion of some sort from her belt and handing it to me.

"Here," she says, and I take the Ether and drink it, feeling a little of my energy begin to come back to me.

"Thanks," I say, and she nods, moving to join Yuna in examining yet another of the mysterious holes.

"Where do you think it goes?" she asks Paine, who shrugs.

"You want to go and find out, be my guest," Paine retorts. Yuna stands up from the hole, beginning to walk back to the elevator platform, as Paine follows. Rikku cautiously watches me as we walk back to the platform, Wakka also stepping on.

"I have to protect this place..." Yuna mutters, as the elevator begins to take us back up to the Cloister of Trials.

* * *

"The job's done," Paine says to Beclem, as we all step out of the Cloister of Trials and back into the main room of the temple.

"I see," he replies, turning to Wakka. "Glad to see you're not hurt. Or...are you?" he continues, looking Wakka over with a critical eye. "Aren't you going to be a father soon? What if something had happened to you? What then?" Without waiting for an answer, Beclem walks out the door of the temple, leaving Rikku hissing at him from behind.

"Quiet, meanie!"

"It's okay," Wakka says, hanging his head slightly. "What can I say. He's got a point."

"Wakka..." Yuna begins, but the former captain stops her before she can say anything.

"If we die trying to save one memory, we risk losing them all," he says, looking around at us.

"But, what if it's a really important memory?" Rikku counters.

"'Memories are nice, but that's all they are.' It's an Al Bhed saying, ya?" Wakka replies, saying the same words that Rikku said to us at the Farplane two years ago.

"Well, yeah, but..." Rikku weakly protests, before giving up altogether.

"Wakka...there's nothing wrong with trying to hang on to memories. Just be careful. Lulu would go to the Farplane and kill you again if you were to die on her now, you know," I tell him, laughing. Smiling, Wakka steps out the door of the temple, the four of us following him back to his hut.

"Yuna, you all right?" Brother asks over the CommSphere as we walk past.

"Yeah, just fine," she replies, staring down at the tiny machina.

"I'll be waiting!" he says, before the CommSphere turns itself off. Paine just shakes her head.

"Talk about a one-track mind," she mutters. Sighing, Paine and Rikku begin to head back to the ship, as Wakka turns back to Yuna and I.

"Memories and just...memories, ya?" he continues, looking back at the temple. "Fiends ever come out of the temple again, I may really have to burn it."

"I guess so," Yuna replies, seeing the saddened look on Wakka's face. "But call me before you do. We'll save fire for our last resort."

"You got it," Wakka says, nodding. As Yuna turns away and begins to walk back to the Celsius, I stop for a moment and look back at Wakka.

"Take care of yourself, and Lulu. I don't want anything to happen to you guys."

"You be careful, too. Wouldn't want anything to happen to any of you, you know?" he replies.

"Yeah. I will," I state simply, turning and following the three girls back to the ship.

* * *

I'll go ahead and clarify a thing or two about Angel Wing, just in case anyone wonders. Some of you might know it from FF8, but there's some slight changes to it. One, it's controllable, and two, the power of Ben's would be nowhere near the power of Rinoa's, for example. It depends on the innate magical ability of the user. If this were a game, I envision the skill to work something like this: Drain a percentage of the user's HP and MP, but double the magic stat and user gains Float. He'll become more proficient with it as he uses it, as well. Anyhow, so it's been proven that Darius can control the aeons...but what's he really planning in doing so? Just keep reading to find out! As always, please review!


	22. Chapter 22: Closer To The Truth

We're inching ever closer to the revealing of many things...but we're not quite there yet. As always, first, the replies!

Shadowkiller27: Thank you. I suppose I'm just not used to compliments.

Sandstone: No. He just...vanished. Teleportation, if you will. And yes, we're slowly catching up...or are we? (grin)

Daniel Wesley Rydell: ...For once, I have no words for you.

Bracey Face Anime Gurl: It gets worse.

KamiKaze no Kage: Indeed. And quite a useful one. Lenne is the exact same one that you all know, and no, she is not Ben's girlfriend. Ben was simply...curious...when he called her in the Farplane.

ChaosRonin: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, ChaosRonin, and thanks!

Iron Reaver: Glad I'm staying true to the character. As much of a jerk as he is...(smirk)

And now, we're somewhere around the halfway point of the story. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 22—Closer To The Truth

Kilika Island, the now-bustling port city and a place I saw vanish before my eyes two years ago. Our next destination was obviously here, and as I look around I discover that our target is nowhere to be found.

"So, where is Dona?" I ask, glancing at Yuna.

"She should be in her home on the upper level," Yuna replies, both of her differently-colored eyes dancing around as she examines the second level. "There!" As Yuna points, our eyes fall across a hut on the upper level, the door facing away from the rest of the village unlike most of the other huts.

"Dona's house, alright," I mutter to myself, beginning to walk up the stairs to the upper level. Yuna and the others follow me, people traveling from place to place all around us. Slowly, Yuna knocks on the door, prompting a scuffling from inside and footsteps. The door opens to reveal Dona, who puts her hand on her hip and stares at Yuna.

"My, my, my, my...what brings you here?" the scantily-clad former summoner asks, Yuna meeting her gaze without hesitation.

"We heard fiends were coming from the temple," Yuna replies, and Dona seems to smirk.

"And you just had to come running."

Wisely, I decide to keep my mouth shut as Yuna continues.

"Well, uh, I wouldn't say that," she fumbles, clearly somewhat embarrassed by the comment.

"I'm not even sure there are any fiends," Dona says, an air of tiredness surrounding her words.

"You haven't checked?" Paine asks. With a slightly annoyed expression, Dona turns to the taller girl.

"I'm in the Youth League. Do you think they'd let me in the temple?" she asks sarcastically, and I nod.

"True enough," I reply, shrugging. Paine gives me a glance as if to say, 'You're not helping,' before turning back to Dona.

"So now what?" Rikku whines. "We giving up?"

"Let's take a look around first," Yuna says, shaking her head. Dona seems to frown, sighing deeply before starting to speak again.

"You'll never get near the temple. The Youth League's blockaded the forest entrance." Slowly, she turns towards the gate at the back of Kilika, staring at it intently. "As they should. We can't have those temple vermin crawling into town now, can we? Besides," she continues, turning back to us, "it spares me from having to see that sulky face."

"Sulky face..." Rikku mutters, thinking out loud, before her head snaps up again. "Barthello?" Dona gives a short nod in reply.

"Of course. He's with New Yevon, so naturally he's in the temple. But then, it's really none of my business."

"Then we'll make it ours," Yuna retorts, looking between Dona and the three of us. "Besides, I'm worried about the fiends."

"If you want to go that badly, I won't stop you," Dona says with a sigh. "But, they're turning people away at the gate." As Dona points to the gate near the back of the port, I can see two guards standing there, one near each side.

"Then we need a plan," I state. Silence comes over the five of us for a minute, before Dona looks up, turning to all of us.

"I've got it. I'll distract one of the guards. That's your chance to run through." With that, the former summoner begins to head to the gate. Silently, we follow, but remain a bit away from the gate in order to see the events unfold.

"I knew she was worried about him," Yuna whispers, and we all nod.

"She tries to hide it, but it's still pretty obvious," I state, watching Dona intently as she speaks to the guard. We're not close enough to hear what is being said, but the guard on the right looks at the other suddenly, who leaves quickly. Dona continues to speak to the remaining guard as both of their voices begin to get louder, the two of them seemingly in an argument over something. Dona pretends to storm off, the guard following her with his eyes, before she stops and starts yelling again. The guard is now looking the opposite way, and Yuna and I turn to each other.

"That's our cue," I say, beginning to sneak towards the gate.

"Right!" she replies, following my lead along with Rikku and Paine. Together, the four of us sneak to the gate which, to my infinite surprise, is simply bound with a small rope. It's a simple matter for Rikku to untie the knot and open the gate, before we quickly and silently move through it. Just when we think we're in the clear, however...the second guard returns, seeing the gate open.

"You, what are you doing!"

"Run!" Paine cries, as the four of us take off into the wooded area beyond, Dona shouting after us as the guard gives chase.

"There's a hidden path through the woods! Walk the treetops!"

"Go! I'll take care of it!" Paine shouts to us, turning to face the guard. I look back just in time to see the guard begin to grapple with Paine. Bad move. Paine slams her head into the man's face, dazing him, before punching him squarely in the nose. The man crumples to the ground, not making much of an attempt to get up, as Paine dusts her hands off and jogs back towards us.

'_Note to self...never get Paine angry.'_

"I think that bought us some time, but we still need to hurry. What did Dona say about the treetops?" I ask, looking around at the small area.

"Walk the treetops..." Yuna mutters, looking around as well. Suddenly, Yuna stops, turning back to us. "Hey, look at this!" she cries, pointing to something a bit above us. Looking up, we all notice a tree, bent over to create a makeshift path over the rest of the woods.

"Hardly a coincidence," I say to myself, chuckling, before stepping over. With a small jump, each of us pull ourselves onto the path and begin walking, careful to keep our balance and not fall off. As we travel along the path, we can see other trees that are bent in much the same manner, designed to continue the bridge of sorts all the way to the steps near Kilika Temple. Below us, we can see guards blockading every ground path through the forest.

"This is too easy," I whisper, feeling a little wary about the entire situation. Maybe it's just paranoia, but I don't like the feeling I have right now.

"Just relax...we're almost to the temple," Yuna tells me, pointing to the steps which are now in view. Slowly, I nod, continuing to follow the trio of girls along the trees.

As we hit the end of the makeshift bridge of sorts, we look down to see if there is anyone around us that might spot us. No one is around; apparently, all the other guards are blocking the paths. Silently, we drop down from the trees and dash up the stairs, careful not to make too much noise. The temple soon looms in the background, and we continue to run, seeing the occasional pyrefly flit past us on its way back to the Farplane.

"Well, definitely fiends here too," I state, pointing to a few scattered pyreflies.

"After seeing the other temples, you really expected this one to be different?" Paine asks, and I just shrug.

"Can't hurt to hope, you know."

"Come on, let's hurry up and get inside!" Rikku urges, running towards the doors of the temple. Quickly, we all follow her inside, coming face to face with several people sitting down on the floor of the main chamber. Others are tending to small wounds on each of them, which means that everyone pays little attention to us, assuming we're just more people sent to help. Slowly, we walk through the temporary infirmary, entering the Cloister of Trials.

The first thing we see as we walk inside is the slumped figure of Barthello, leaning against the wall of the trials and clearly unconscious. The second thing? A winged Daeva fiend, looking straight at us. A moment of silence is shared by both our group and the fiend, before it growls, causing us to draw our weapons.

"Armor Break!" I cry, immediately striking the fiend in the chest and lowering its defense. Snarling, the Daeva swats me away with a clawed hand, before casting Haste on itself. A second spell follows a moment later, the Demi spell sucking away a good portion of our strength.

"Magic Break!"

Paine's attack slices the fiend's arm open, causing it to slash her across the chest. As she stumbles back from the attack, Yuna blasts the fiend with an Enchanted Ammo attack, the fiend hissing in pain from the magical assault. Rikku slashes the fiend in the back then, having snuck up behind it while its attention was on Paine and I. A final Trigger Happy burst from Yuna sends the fiend slumping to the ground, exploding into a cloud of pyreflies that float towards the ceiling.

"That was easy...for a change," I grumble, stepping over to Barthello. Shaking him a little, I watch as the former guardian groans and opens his eyes, sitting up straight in an instant. Stepping back, I watch him get to his feet as Yuna and Rikku walk over.

"Barthello?" Rikku asks, her unspoken question being answered quickly by the burly man.

"I'll be okay."

"The fiends?" Yuna asks. Barthello simply shakes his head in response.

"We're holding them off...somehow. They're coming from inside!" he exclaims, motioning deeper into the temple. "One after another..."

"Have any reached the town?" I inquire, my gaze shifting absently over the walls of the temple.

"No. If they reach the town, they'll reach...Dona," Barthello states, his eyes flashing with emotion for a moment.

"They won't," Yuna says reassuringly.

"Thanks," Barthello replies, nodding at Yuna.

"Dona wants to see you," Rikku cuts in, causing Barthello to look at her out of mild shock. "Well, she didn't come right out and say it, but you can kinda tell."

"I want to see her too," Barthello says softly. "Even if we believe different things, I'll always feel the same about her. The time of the summoners may have passed, but I will always be Dona's guardian. I live only to protect her!"

"She'd be glad to hear that," I remark, stepping deeper into the temple.

"Take care of yourself, Barthello," Yuna says, moving to follow me. Barthello simply nods, stepping back outside the Cloister of Trials as Rikku and Paine join us.

"So...where do you think all of these holes lead?" I ask, trying to make conversation. The silence is beginning to unnerve me.

"I'm not sure...it could be anywhere, really," Yuna responds after a moment. The look in her eyes is filled with worry, and her movements seem to be tense, as if she's nervous.

"Don't tell me you're the one wanting to go down there now?" Paine asks, an air of sarcasm in her tone.

"Who, me? No, no..." I reply, an innocent look on my face. As the cold, stone door of the Chamber of the Fayth comes into view, I slowly put a hand on my blade, preparing to step inside. Yuna takes the lead, and the four of us enter the once-sacred room, looking around. A cloud of pyreflies floats in front of us, like inside the other temples, and it slowly takes form into the fiery aeon, Ifrit.

"Again..." Yuna mutters, staring sadly at the creature.

"An aeon?" Paine asks, never taking her eyes off of Ifrit.

"Yeah," Yuna answers, Rikku stepping over to her quickly.

"Yunie..."

"I know. I'm ready." Yuna cuts Rikku off quickly, grabbing her pistols and leveling them at Ifrit.

_(Play Parasite Eve theme Primal Eyes)_

"Tableturner!"

Yuna's first shot lances out of the gun and blasts into the powerful aeon, who roars in pain from having his own energy used against him. Rikku runs over to Ifrit and slashes as well, the aeon's counterattack barely missing her.

"Ready?" I ask Paine, who nods, running alongside me towards Ifrit. "Power Break!"

"Armor Break!"

Our duo of attacks serves to do nothing more than anger the aeon, who casts a Fira spell at Paine. Paine staggers with the hit, and as I turn my attention back to Ifrit I'm hit with a powerful ball of energy, the Meteor Strike knocking me back a few feet. Shaking my head to clear it, I watch as Yuna fires a volley of shots into the aeon, the attack nothing more than small cuts to the creature. Frowning, Yuna spherechanges into Black Mage, as Paine slashes once again, her blade enchanted with ice. Ifrit growls as Paine slashes his undefended side, slapping her away with ease.

"Ice Brand!" I yell, continuing Paine's elemental assault on Ifrit. Slashing down, the aeon takes my attack along the arm, and I jump back just in time to avoid being caught by the counterattack. Ifrit growls and casts Fira then, catching me off guard as the attack explodes in my face.

"Cura!"

I can hear Rikku cast the white magic spell, and I watch as Paine goes back on the offensive, having been healed by the spell. A second Cura washes over me a moment later, followed by a bright flash of light as Yuna spherechanges into her Floral Fallal dressphere.

"Ice Whirl!" At Yuna's cry, a chain of icy explosions go off in Ifrit's face, the aeon roaring in pain and stumbling back from the powerful skill.

"It's weakening..." I mutter, raising my sword again. "Thunder Blade!" Running up to Ifrit, I slash down hard, shocking and cutting the aeon with one swift movement. Ifrit jerks from the strike, before its hands begin to glow with red energy. Leaping up into the air, the aeon sends the now-larger energy balls at us, which explode and engulf us with flames. Even through the hazy flames, I can see Ifrit blast a final energy ball from his mouth, which also explodes under us. The four of us cry out in pain and slump to the ground, bleeding and burned.

"I really...hate...fire..." I moan, slowly working my way back to a kneeling position and using my sword for support. Paine is doing much the same, and Yuna is sitting halfway on her knees. Rikku leans on her staff, slowly casting a Cura spell on herself. I manage to get back to my feet as Rikku casts Cura on Paine, then Yuna. Paine immediately sets upon Ifrit, Yuna aiding her friend in buying us some time to recover. As another Cura spell heals up the burns and cuts on my body, I grip my sword tightly, focusing energy into it as I charge Ifrit.

"Excalibur!"

My holy-based attack cuts a large gash into Ifrit's chest, and Paine follows my attack up with a stab into the aeon's chest, eliciting a roar of agony as the aeon slumps to the floor and explodes into pyreflies once again.

_(End Parasite Eve theme Primal Eyes)_

"Another hole," Paine mutters, walking over and examining the now-familiar sight at the back of the chamber.

"It's all connected," I murmur to no one in particular.

"_Indeed it is. I'm simply wondering how long it will take you simple-minded children to figure it out."_

"Shut up, Shuyin..." I mutter, causing Rikku to turn to me.

"Did you say something?"

"Uh...no, I didn't say anything," I reply, realizing my slip a moment too late. "So...should we get back to the Celsius now? We still have one more temple to check out, after all."

Yuna just nods, staring at the hole for a moment longer with a distant look on her face before turning and stepping out of the chamber. Silently, the three of us follow, each lost in our own thoughts.

'_I just hope things don't get completely out of hand...they're pretty out of hand now as it is.'_

_

* * *

_

A bit shorter than usual...but the next chapter will make up for that. Our group finds themselves in the middle of a settling of differences between friends...and tempers flare. As always, please read and review!


	23. Chapter 23: Comrades In Arms

Well...things will start to move along nicely now. Life is good. On to the replies!

Dairokkan: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Dairokkan! Hope you enjoy it.

KamiKaze no Kage: (twitch) Yeah. I would forget it. But anyhow...this chapter makes up for the length of the last. And as for Shuyin...let's just say he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

XxCougarxX: Thank you for the kind words. And as for forgetting your reply...I don't know how I missed it. I really don't. But if you smite me, I shall come back more powerful than you can possibly imagine. (smile)

Iron Reaver: Yeah, yeah, laugh at my misfortunes...

Daniel Wesley Rydell: Yeah. You die, clown. You die.

Well, now that the quite entertaining reviews are over...on to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 23—Comrades In Arms

"Mmm...I don't get it!" Rikku whines, looking around at Yuna and the others. The past few minutes have been spent in discussion over the holes that have been appearing in the temples.

"Fortunately, I know everything," Shinra chimes in, turning around from his seat at his computer.

"So why were fiends coming out of the temples?" Rikku asks.

"The fiends didn't come from the temples. They came from the Chambers of the Fayth."

"Right, exactly! But why?" Rikku asks again. Shinra pauses for a moment, before shrugging.

"I'm just a kid."

Resisting the quite powerful urge to facepalm at the antics of the young Al Bhed, I simply continue to listen.

"The holes in the Chamber of the Fayth...were they there before?" Paine asks, to which Yuna shakes her head.

"No," she replies simply.

"So the holes must be new, right?" adds Rikku, prompting a round of nods from the rest of us.

"There was one in Bevelle too," Paine states. "A great hole..."

"But that one was made by Vegnagun, wasn't it?" Rikku counters, looking over at Paine.

"That's true," Yuna cuts in, "but they're connected somehow."

"The holes...are connected?" Brother asks, warily.

"Yes, but it's more than just that. Somehow I think there are deeper connections," Yuna continues, Brother nodding his head in reply.

"Ohhh...that is deep, Yuna," he says, putting a hand to his chin in thought.

"Hey...guys?" Buddy asks, motioning for us to walk over, "Someone's trying to radio us." Now, truthfully, I wasn't even aware the Celsius had much of a radio system, past the comlinks, of course. Instead of conveying my surprise, though, I just shrug and step over as Buddy begins typing on the console in front of him.

"Hello, Gullwings," says the voice of Drante Vego, easily able to be heard over the speakers in the bridge.

"Drante? How did you figure out how to contact us?" I ask, now even more confused than I was a moment ago.

"I have my ways," he replies, chuckling a bit. "But enough about that. I've found something that I believe you would like to see."

"Which would be?" I retort, now curious.

"I cannot yet confirm what I saw, but I believe I saw the leaders of the Youth League, Machine Faction, and New Yevon heading inside the main temple here at Bevelle," Drante responds. I can see Yuna's eyes go wide as Paine speaks.

"You're not sure?" she asks.

"That is correct. I merely caught a glimpse. I thought that you might like to investigate for yourselves, however. That is why I contacted you."

"We appreciate the information, Drante. We'll be there soon," Yuna says.

"I'll be waiting, high summoner," Drante replies, before the transmission ends.

"Looks like we've got some following to do," I comment, smiling.

"You would like spying on people," Rikku jokes.

"Of course," I reply, keeping a straight face, "makes it all the simpler to get blackmail on them." My serious expression makes Rikku start to laugh, which in turn causes me to start laughing as well. Paine simply rolls her eyes while Yuna giggles, shaking her head at my antics.

"Wonder if Drante really did see Baralai and the others..." Yuna murmurs, sitting down.

"Maybe," I reply, having overheard her. "All I know is that we need to find them, and fast." Silently, I take a seat as the Celsius continues its flight towards Bevelle.

* * *

Bevelle looks much the same as we left it the last time. People still seem calm, though I can imagine it's a much different story on a political level. The four of us quickly exit the Celsius, finding a smiling Drante Vego waiting for us at the exit.

"Greetings. I'm glad you made it," he says, causing Yuna to bow a little out of respect.

"Good to see you, Drante," I say. Drante greets me with a nod in reply, before turning back to the main temple.

"Shall we go now? The sooner we leave, the sooner we can confirm my suspicions," he says, and Yuna nods.

"Let's go."

Quickly, Yuna begins to walk towards the temple, with Drante right behind her. Rikku, Paine, and I follow, the three of us having to walk at a brisk pace to keep up with the duo in front of us.

"If they're here, wonder why they picked here to meet in the first place?" Rikku asks.

"One word. Vegnagun." My mention of the giant machina causes Rikku to shiver a little.

"You're probably right," Paine states, a look in her eyes somewhere between understanding and hesitation.

"Something wrong?" Rikku asks Paine, looking over at her friend with concern.

"Nothing. Let's just focus on finding everyone," Paine replies. Yuna and Drante lead the way into the Cloister of Trials, and we quickly begin to make our way through. Between Yuna's knowledge of the trials and my own, it's not long at all before we're back at the ladder that leads into the underground of Bevelle.

"I take it that this leads to the chamber where Vegnagun was once held?" Drante asks, turning to Yuna.

"Yes. It's gone now, but I think you already knew that," she responds. Drante merely nods in reply, motioning for Yuna to begin descending.

"After you," he says, and Yuna nods, grabbing on to the ladder and beginning to make her way down. Drante follows, then Rikku, Paine, and I begin to climb down as well. As we reach the bottom, a strange feeling begins to come over me. It almost feels like...anticipation, of a sort. Shaking the feeling off, I look out to where Vegnagun once was to see three very familiar faces.

"Hey," Gippal says, walking over to the other two figures.

"You're late," Baralai replies, folding his arms.

"If you were on time, then I'd really start to worry," Nooj says, a small chuckle making its way around the trio at the joke.

"So much for being missing," Yuna whispers, as the five of us crouch down to watch without being seen.

"Sure you should be here?" Gippal asks, looking over at Nooj and Baralai. "The Youth League and New Yevon are crumbling without you guys to hold 'em together."

"You expect too much," Nooj states.

"Learn from us!" Gippal says, before his voice becomes more serious. "So why are we here?"

"There's something I needed to be sure of," Baralai says hesitantly, turning to face the open area where Vegnagun once stood. "Vegnagun...is gone."

"Listen to you," Nooj says, shaking his head and limping over to Baralai. "'Vegnagun is gone.' Are you trying to tell us that since that thing left on its own, Yevon's not to blame?" Seemingly offended, Baralai spins to face Nooj.

"It's the truth. That thing's more sensitive than its size would lead one to believe. It detects hostility, and in an instant, springs to life! Should one even think of harming it, it awakens like a frightened child."

"Hah. You did your homework," Nooj replies.

"I've had two years," Baralai replies coolly.

"Wait," Gippal says, striding over quickly, "so you're saying that Vegnagun woke up because someone was trying to destroy it? Who?"

"Who indeed," Baralai murmurs. "I'm a little confused. You came to claim it for yourself, didn't you?" he asks, turning back to Nooj. "But Vegnagun awoke. Why? Because deep down, you hated it. Did you come here to use it or to destroy it? Well?"

"Both," Nooj says quietly. "You probably think that's impossible. "You've always been too naive to see. I wouldn't expect you to understand," he says, his voice taking on somewhat of a bitter tone.

"Then, I hope you don't expect me to trust you, either," Baralai replies, his eyes narrowing. "I believed in you once...when we were training for the Crimson Squad. I thought I'd never find a better friend. But you betrayed that...two years ago." Suddenly, Baralai pulls a gun from the folds of his robe, aiming at Nooj. Startled, Gippal moves away from his friend slightly.

"Baralai!" he protests, but Baralai keeps the gun leveled at Nooj, who now faces the praetor calmly.

"Why did you shoot?" Baralai yells. "Why did you shoot Gippal and me? We were friends, and you shot us in the back!" Nooj just remains silent, and Baralai seems to get even angrier, stepping closer to Nooj.

"Answer me!"

"Just calm down!" Gippal yells, turning to Nooj. "Nooj! Apologize already! That's enough!" Turning to Baralai, his hand begins to reach down to his belt as he shakes his head slowly at the New Yevon leader. "Don't push me..." Baralai doesn't lower his gun, however, and so Gippal draws one of his own, aiming squarely at Baralai.

"If this is what it takes," he mutters, Nooj still standing as if nothing is wrong. Suddenly, Nooj's body begins to glow with an eerie light as he drops his cane to the ground. Now standing perfectly, as if he is an entirely different person, Nooj chuckles.

"This has turned out perfectly, wouldn't you agree?" he says, but his voice sounds different, a very creepy feel coming from his speech now. "Yes, I shot you." Quickly, Nooj pulls out a gun and aims at Gippal, leaving each of the three aiming at the other.

"You were easy targets. You...and Paine," he continues.

"You shot Paine, too?" Gippal says, startled by the information. Yuna and Rikku give a glance to Paine, who continues looking at the spectacle.

"Why?" Baralai asks, seemingly pleading with his former friend for an answer. Nooj just begins to laugh, a deep laugh that chills me to the bone. "Answer me!" Baralai yells again.

"I made him do it. He was too weak to resist me." As Nooj says this, Gippal takes a step back, glancing at the leader of the Youth League.

"Nooj?"

"I don't expect you to present any more of a challenge," Nooj states. "Not now." As he finishes speaking, a glowing form emerges from his body, almost diving into Baralai's body and vanishing. Baralai twitches for a moment, before standing upright once again as Nooj sinks to the floor on his knees.

"See, I found that the mind that hates and despairs is the easiest to break," Baralai says, now speaking in the same voice that Nooj was just using. "Two years ago, it was the same with you, Nooj. Seeking your own death. Now you can have it," he says, aiming carefully at Nooj with his pistol.

"Wait!" Gippal yells, running towards Baralai.

"Stop!" Paine cries, jumping up from her position and sprinting towards the trio.

"Paine, wait!" I yell, leaping up after her.

"Paine, get out of here!" Nooj yells. A barrier of light suddenly springs into existence near Nooj, causing both Paine and I to stop.

"High Summoners!" Drante yells, causing our attention to turn back to him. Pyreflies are gathering in front of where he's standing, and before our eyes they take the shape of a deadly fiend, the Malboro. Drante's orb rolls down into his hand and takes the shape of a javelin, as Paine and I draw our swords. Yuna and Rikku draw their weapons as Drante heaves the javelin at the fiend, striking it squarely in the lower part of its face. The javelin reforms into an orb and rolls down the fiend's body, rolling back to Drante seemingly of its own accord before he morphs it back into a broadsword.

"Nifty little tricks," I say to Drante, before turning back to the Malboro. "Armor Break!" My sword slashes the front of the fiend, drawing a ragged gash across its body, before it spits something at me. Dodging to the side quickly, I notice the substance eating away at the ground.

"Acid...not good," I mutter, as Yuna peppers the fiend with a Trigger Happy attack. Rikku slashes twice at it, the fiend spraying another blast of acid at her. She quickly moves out of the way, but a small part of her scarf is burned away by a drop of the acid.

Drante charges the Malboro, leaping on top of it with effortless ease before beginning to stab it in the top of its head repeatedly. The fiend shrieks, shaking and thrashing violently in an attempt to throw Drante off. It finally succeeds, Drante flipping away and landing carefully on his feet, before Paine slashes in with a Flametongue attack. The fiend howls in agony as the flames eat away at it before slumping to the ground, pyreflies beginning to float away from the fiend's dying body.

"Where'd they go?" Rikku asks quickly, looking around for any sign of the three leaders.

"I saw Baralai escape," Paine replies, putting her sword back in its sheath once more. "Nooj and Gippal probably chased after him."

"So you knew all three of them," Yuna says, more of a comment than a question.

"Long ago," Paine states, her tone of voice making it clear that she doesn't particularly want to talk about the subject.

"Yeah, but Nooj, he..." Rikku begins, trailing off as Paine interrupts.

"Yes, he shot us. It was an accident. At least that's how I see it."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rikku continues, Paine remaining silent for a moment before speaking.

"You didn't ask."

"I'm asking now," Rikku states, stepping over to Paine who remains silent, looking away from Rikku. "You don't wanna tell us," Rikku finally says, and Paine nods.

"Bingo," she replies, stepping away from Rikku and looking back at her. Rikku looks somewhat frustrated now, and Paine sighs.

"You wanna know."

"Yeah, but..." Yuna interrupts, walking closer to Paine, "forcing you to tell isn't any better. We'll wait until you're ready."

"No pressure, huh?" Paine asks her friend. Yuna merely nods in reply, and an expression of what could pass for relief shows on Paine's face for a brief moment.

"We need to get to Djose Temple," I remind Yuna, looking over at Drante. "Drante, do you want to come?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I shall decline," the red-garbed man replies.

"Suit yourself," I say, shrugging. "Thanks for telling us about this."

"It was no trouble at all," Drante says, turning to Yuna and the others. "A pleasure working with you ladies," he comments, bowing, before beginning to walk back towards the exit of the underground area.

"We should get going too," I state, more to myself than the others, before heading for the exit as well, Yuna and the others behind me.

* * *

A few minutes later, we find ourselves on the way to Djose Temple. We got quite a few expressions of surprise after explaining what had happened underneath Bevelle to Brother, Buddy, and Shinra. Sighing, I lean back on my bed, hoping to get some much-needed relaxation time. I've been thinking about everything that's happened, but what's confusing me is the strange feeling I had as we arrived in the underground area. It almost felt like a sense of anticipation over something, as if I was eager to do something, but I had no idea what it was that I wanted to do.

"_Let's see how long it takes you to figure this one out," _Shuyin cuts in, his image appearing before me once again.

"Don't you ever get tired of harassing me?" I ask, annoyed by the unsent's actions.

"_To be honest...no. Your mind is filled with such depressing thoughts...it's truly a pleasure to explore your true feelings."_

"My true feelings, huh?" I mutter. "And how would you know which ones those are?"

"_It's really very simple. The ones you repress, the ones you push to the back corners of your mind and exert the most control over, so as not to let them run free...those are your true feelings. And you harbor a strong sense of regret, inferiority...the list goes on and on. To me, your mind is nothing more than an open book, and I am the reader."_

"...Alright, fine. I can't deny that, as much as I hate to admit it," I finally say, staring at Shuyin's transparent image. "Answer me this. You were the one who made Nooj shoot Baralai, Gippal, and Paine, weren't you?" I ask, wanting to confirm my thoughts.

"_Yes...it was I. Nooj's mind was simple...seeking his death everywhere he went, his mind proved easy for me to control. And so I did," _Shuyin replies, seemingly almost pleased with himself. _"And that the other three all believe that it was Nooj who betrayed them, instead of myself...well, it just makes it that much sweeter." _The last words of Shuyin suddenly make everything click in my mind, as if the proverbial lightbulb had suddenly begun to shine.

"I get it now...the feelings I had when I went underground at Bevelle, they weren't _mine_...they were yours. This...link, or whatever we have, must work both ways..."At that, Shuyin starts to laugh, his ghostly form clapping mockingly but making no noise.

"_Very good," _he says, speaking as if talking to a child who has just learned to walk,_ "you are right. The link we share does work both ways...even now, I can feel your sense of happiness, just as you should feel my anger. I can remember once when I felt happiness..." _Shuyin trails off, not wanting to continue his sentence. The underlying meaning is crystal-clear, however.

"When you were with Lenne," I state.

"_Yes."_

The approaching sound of footsteps makes me jump a little, standing up and walking to the door just in time to hear a knock.

"Ben! We're landing at Djose!" Rikku's voice says from the other side of the door. Sparing a glance back at Shuyin's image, I'm not surprised to discover that it's no longer there. Slowly, I open the door, stepping out and shutting it behind me before heading towards the elevator.

"What's wrong?" Rikku asks, noticing my silence.

"Nothing," I mutter, stepping inside the elevator with Rikku right behind me.

"You're a terrible liar, you know? Spill it."

"I can't," I reply simply, taking out my Garment Grid and changing one of the spheres in order to avoid facing Rikku.

"What do you mean, you can't? Of course you can!" she says.

"No, I can't," I repeat, Rikku's face growing frustrated. _'I can't tell anyone...not yet.'_

"Fine," she finally says, giving in. The elevator stops, and the two of us step out of the elevator, exiting the Celsius a moment later. Yuna and Paine are already outside, looking at the temple. A number of Al Bhed are outside, holding guns and staring at the front doors of the temple.

"Frana ec Gippal frah fa haat res?" one of them mutters.

"He says Gippal's not back yet," Rikku says, translating the basic meaning of the words for Yuna and Paine.

"Wonder if he's still with Nooj and Baralai?" Yuna questions.

"Probably," Paine replies. The apparent leader of the Al Bhed starts to approach us, telling something to the others before walking over.

"Fa dneat vekrdehk dra veahtc uh uin ufh, pid fa uhmo syta drehkc funca," he explains. "Dra veahtc vuiht y fyo du sanka fedr uin machina."

"Translation...not good!" Rikku exclaims as the man finishes speaking.

"Then that's our cue!" Yuna retorts, grabbing her pistols and running towards the temple doors. The three of us quickly follow Yuna, our weapons also drawn in preparation.

Inside the temple is relatively calm, but I can hear the faint whirring of machina parts coming from behind the door leading to the Cloister of Trials.

"Better get ready for a fight," I say to myself, holding my sword beside me. As the door opens to the Trials, a pair of machina advance, smaller ones with two legs like those back at the Highroad. Yuna quickly fires an Enchanted Ammo attack at one, while Paine's blade begins to glow with lightning.

"Thunder Blade!" she cries, slashing into the other machina. To all of our surprise, however, the machina seems to be unaffected by the lightning. The machina looks at Paine before casting a Thunder spell, making Paine twitch from the electrical energy.

"Yunie!" Rikku cries, looking at her cousin, "It must've joined with some kind of lightning fiend!" Thinking quickly about Rikku's words, I raise my sword as the blade becomes covered with fire. If it has merged with an electrical fiend, then lightning nor water will do any good because of the elemental resistances of both.

"Flametongue!" I yell, running in and stabbing down through the machina. The inside is engulfed in flames, melting through the wiring and causing the machina to sink to the ground. Pyreflies begin to fly from the machina, and they quickly reform into the shape of a Flan Amarillo fiend, confirming Rikku's suspicions.

"Fira!" Yuna yells, blasting the other machina with a gout of flames. It also sinks to the ground, a Yellow Elemental fiend forming from the remains of the machina.

"Liquid Steel!" Paine cries, running in and cleaving straight through the now-weakened Flan fiend. It disperses into pyreflies again as Yuna casts a Watera spell at the Elemental, also destroying it.

"Great. We can't use water on them until we destroy the machina. Just great," I mutter, the four of us quickly heading towards the Chamber of the Fayth.

* * *

It takes a few minutes to reach the chamber of this temple, as the fiends seem to be tougher than those in the other temples because of the merging. Finally, however, we do reach the Chamber of the Fayth and step inside, looking around.

"Sure took long enough for you to get here," Darius says, leaning against the back wall with his arms folded.

"This isn't a game, jerk. People are getting hurt!" I yell, annoyed by his nonchalant attitude.

"And that's not my fault," he retorts, stepping closer to us. "The only things I control are the aeons. And they aren't the ones hurting the civilians. The fiends are doing that on their own. Any more stupid comments?" Seething from the insult, I spherechange into Black Mage, preparing to cast a spell. Suddenly, pyreflies gather in front of Darius, forming into the shape of the lightning horse, Ixion.

_(Play Star Ocean 3 theme Influence of Truth Appearance)_

"Let's see just how powerful you four really are. Ixion, attack!" Darius yells, the aeon giving a short whine and leaping to the attack.

"Watera!" My spell hits Ixion in the face, stunning it for a brief moment as Yuna fires a powerful shot into the side of its head. The aeon shakes the attacks off and charges me, slashing down with its horn. Paine's sword suddenly intercepts the horn, holding it off long enough for me to move out of the way.

"Protect!" Rikku yells, having spherechanged to White Mage. The defensive barrier appears over Paine for a moment before becoming invisible again.

"Ice Brand!" Paine cries, slashing up across the side of the aeon. Ixion whines again and swats Paine back with its head, the Protect lessening the impact some.

"Aerospark!" Darius commands, causing Ixion to jump back. The aeon rears its head back before slashing through the air with its horn, a spinning wave of energy biting into Yuna and causing her to cry out.

"Cura!" Rikku yells, casting the magic on Yuna. Yuna winces in pain before firing rapidly at Ixion, giving me enough time to use another spell.

"Blizzara!"

The ice spell smashes into Ixion's face, the aeon shaking its head to clear its vision from the attack before using Aerospark again, this time directing the energy attack at me.

"Whoa!" I yell, ducking under the spinning blade, which explodes harmlessly on the wall behind me. Quickly, I begin to spherechange into my special dressphere, Rikku also doing the same. Yuna spherechanges into Black Mage, immediately casting a spell at Ixion.

"Fira!" The ball of flame hits Ixion in the side, causing the aeon to whine in pain. Just as Rikku and I finish spherechanging, Darius smiles, pointing at the four of us.

"Ixion. Overdrive," he commands simply, the aeon giving a loud cry and raising up on its back legs. Smashing its front legs into the ground, Ixion fires a bolt of energy from its horn, encompassing all four of us and lifting us into the air. Unable to do anything, we can only watch as Ixion sends a spark of energy up the electrical rope of sorts, which causes the entire orb to explode around us and send us back to the dirt. For a moment, we're unable to do anything, our bodies jerking and becoming spastic from the lightning. Paine is the first to recover, and she doesn't look happy.

"Demi Sword!" she yells, slashing vertically at Ixion and cutting a large gash in the front of the aeon's face. Ixion roars in pain and thrashes around, swatting Paine away with its head while continuing to bellow.

"Rikku, hit it now!" I yell, running towards Ixion.

"Got it!" Rikku replies, firing two blue lasers at the aeon. As the lasers strike, I jump towards Ixion's face, sword held high.

"Renzokuken!"

Slashing quickly, I land 7 powerful strikes on the aeon before landing and jumping back. The aeon gives a final cry, before slumping to the ground, clearly unable to fight any more.

_(End Star Ocean 3 theme Influence of Truth Appearance)_

"That's it for your aeon, Darius!" I yell, spherechanging back to Warrior as Rikku changes back to Thief. "You want to be next?"

"Please," he scoffs, "you four couldn't beat me right now no matter what you did. I've got more to do right now than waste my time with you idiots." With that said, Darius vanishes once again, leaving the four of us alone once again.

"Another hole," Rikku states, glancing down into the deep pit behind where Darius was standing. "I wonder what's down there."

"Go find out," Paine says.

"Uh-uh! No way!" Rikku yelps, jumping back.

"Wait..." Yuna says, turning slowly to look at Ixion, "why didn't Ixion vanish like all the rest?"

"Good question," Rikku says, looking at the aeon. Suddenly, Ixion stands up as its body begins to glow with a yellow light. Paine's eyes go wide as she turns to Yuna and Rikku.

"Get back!" she cries, running away from the hole.

"Huh?" Rikku asks, unsure of what Paine is talking about.

"What?" Yuna starts to say something, but doesn't get to finish her sentence. Ixion suddenly _explodes_, the force of the blast knocking Paine and I to the ground, as well as Rikku. Yuna is standing right in front of the hole, however, and screams as the force of the blast knocks her into the black pit.

"Yuna!"

"Yunie!"

Paine and Rikku quickly stand up, dashing over to the hole to try and help Yuna. Silently, I mutter a curse before turning to the two girls.

"We need to get back to the Celsius, now!" I yell, beginning to sprint to the door. "We might be able to track Yuna from there!" The two of them share a quick nod, as all of us begin to run full-speed back through the Cloister of Trials.

* * *

Now Yuna's in a bit of trouble...how will the group get out of this one? Keep reading to find out, and as always, please review!


	24. Chapter 24: Holding On To Hope

Well...only a short while to go until the concert! So, I'll get right to it!

Iron Reaver: (sarcastically) Sorry boss. (rolls eyes)

Dairokkan: Indeed. He's quite...antagonistic.

XxCougarxX: At this point...I'd say they're about equal. Though, at the moment, Darius is the more immediate threat. And yeah, I was thinking about diving into the hole. But not like I'd want to end up down there...

Sam: Just read on.

Daniel Wesley Rydell: I do believe you're right. And Ifrit isn't eating my face. He's eating Shinra's. (smile)

KamiKaze no Kage: Well, I'm following the basis of the game, really, but there are a few more things added alongside the main points. As for Ixion not bursting into pyreflies, remember that it was said that the fiends merged with the machina. The explanation that I see is that it somehow made Ixion have that ability as a 'last resort', so to speak.

Duderman: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Duderman! Glad to see you're enjoying my stories. Destiny's Call pretty much followed the storyline, but Eternal Requiem has a few more things moving alongside the main plot, as I said before. I do have plans to do a third story, and believe me, it'll be quite...unexpected. (smile) I'm trying to add in the romance, but most of this part is pure action and drama. There isn't much I can do at the moment, but I'm working with it.

SS5Matt: Thanks for the kind words.

Well, on with the interlude! Of a sort, that is.

* * *

Chapter 24—Holding On To Hope

"Yuna fryd!" Brother yells, causing me to rub my ears from the volume.

"She fell down the hole in Djose Temple," I say quickly, turning to Buddy. "Buddy, see if you can locate her."

"Roger," he replies, turning around to his console and beginning to work.

"Oh...where could she be?" Rikku whines, worried about her cousin. Silently, I turn away from Rikku, not wanting to make her feel any worse.

'_Great. I should've seen this coming. I should've known that Ixion would try something like that! It's my fault that Yuna's there...'_

"You're blaming yourself, aren't you?"

A quick glance around reveals Rikku staring straight at me, a solemn look on her face.

"...Stop reading my thoughts," I mutter, looking down. "But it is my fault. I should've known that Ixion would do something when it didn't vanish like the rest."

"It's not your fault! You want to know who's fault it is? Blame it on Darius. He's the one who started this whole mess!" Rikku says.

"Sorry to say this," Buddy interrupts, "but I'm getting nothing on my radar. It's like...she just vanished off the face of Spira."

"What if we tried throwing a CommSphere down into the hole?" Shinra suggests, holding one of them up to us.

"It's worth a try," Paine says, taking the CommSphere from Shinra. "I'll go do it."

"Be careful," I tell her, and she nods before walking out of the bridge.

"Guess all we can do now is wait," Buddy says.

"Unfortunately...you're right. That's all we really can do," I say quietly, sitting down.

* * *

A few minutes later, Paine comes walking back into the Celsius, the CommSphere she took from Shinra nowhere in sight.

"Try connecting to it," she tells Shinra, who nods, turning to his computer and beginning to type as all three of us walk over. After a moment, 'Failure to Connect' flashes on the screen, causing me to release the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Well, there goes that idea," I mutter, shaking my head. Before anyone else can say anything, though, a transmission begins to come through the speakers.

"Yuna, reporting in."

"Yuna!" we exclaim, running over to Buddy's position as he begins to try and track Yuna.

"Where are you?" Rikku asks, causing Yuna to pause for a moment.

"Bevelle," she answers.

"Dryd caddmac ed! Uh du Bevelle!" Brother exclaims, Buddy nodding and beginning to lift off the Celsius.

"We'll be there soon, Yuna. Just sit tight, okay?" I tell her.

"Okay." The transmission closes with that, as all of us sit down and wait patiently to arrive at Bevelle.

* * *

"We're coming up on Bevelle now!" Buddy exclaims, the Celsius lowering its altitude and preparing to land near the Highbridge. As the Celsius prepares to land, I can see Yuna's familiar figure running down the Highbridge towards the Celsius. Quickly, we all stand up and turn to the door of the bridge, as Yuna runs in a minute later.

"Fryd y nameav! E druikrd fa ryt mucd oui!" Brother says.

"We hadn't heard anything in so long!" Rikku says, running up and hugging Yuna quickly. "We tried tossing a CommSphere into the hole, but it didn't help one bit!"

"Hey, it's still in beta," Shinra replies, shrugging.

"So, what happened?" Paine asks, a little more than curious.

"Well...I'm not completely sure myself," she states, looking around the bridge at all of us. "I found myself in the Farplane, in my Songstress dressphere. I didn't know what to do...but then I saw someone."

"Who?" Rikku asks.

"Shuyin. He talked to me, calling me 'Lenne', talking about how Spira really hasn't changed, even though a thousand years have gone by. He's going to use Vegnagun to destroy Spira...to make everything go away. Just when I thought everything was over, I saw Nooj and Gippal. They told me everything was under control. The rest is kind of a blur...I just remember opening my eyes and finding myself in Bevelle, near Vegnagun's chamber," she finishes, awaiting our responses.

"Lenne, huh?" Buddy asks, seemingly thinking out loud.

"Yeah, the girl from the Songstress dressphere," Shinra replies, answering Buddy's query.

"That's Lenne?" Yuna asks.

"Sure. She wore that dress one thousand years ago," Shinra says, nodding.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rikku asks, spinning to Shinra.

"No one asked," he replies, shrugging. "Besides, all I knew was her name. What's to tell?" Rikku just sighs, turning back to all of us.

"Okay, okay. So the reason Shuyin keeps calling Yuna 'Lenne' is..."

"Because of that dressphere?" Paine finishes, looking over at Shinra.

"I can't really say for sure," Shinra answers, as Brother steps into the middle of all of us.

"Forget Lenne! Shuyin's the one who's wanting to vaporize Spira!" he exclaims.

'_Not if I can help it,' _I think to myself. Silently, Paine moves towards the door, stepping out and leaving the rest of us in the bridge.

"Yeah, but what can we do?" Buddy retorts. "Nooj and Gippal are already planning something. Let them deal with it for now." With that said, everyone begins to move back to their seat, with the exception of Yuna, who heads for the door.

"Yunie, Yunie!" Rikku says, stopping her before she can leave.

"Yeah?"

"You met Shuyin, right? Was he anything like you-know-who?" she asks. Yuna's eyes twinge with sadness for a moment before she answers.

"Not really. Just his face." Rikku just nods, letting Yuna step out of the bridge.

"I can't imagine how bad she must feel, knowing it wasn't him after all," I mutter, staring at the floor. "She does a good job of keeping her feelings under control." Sighing, I lean back in my chair as Rikku follows Yuna out, looking almost curious about something. Having nothing else to do, I close my eyes and begin to meditate, focusing on nothing in an attempt to ease my mind.

* * *

"You're not leaving us, are you?"

Rikku's voice snaps me out of my near-trance a few minutes later, as she steps into the bridge alongside Paine.

"I may not look it, but I am having a good time," she replies, smiling slightly.

"So, you reveal your true feelings at last. I knew there was a person behind that stony mask of yours!" I joke, chuckling. Paine just rolls her eyes.

"What about Yuna?" Buddy breaks in. "Think she'll quit?"

"Uv luinca hud!" Brother says.

"Yht fru ycgat oui, yenrayt?" Paine says, causing me to burst out laughing as I realize what she said. Just then, Yuna steps in the bridge, giving me a glance but saying nothing. Calming myself down, I watch as Shinra spins around in his chair, turning to face all of us.

"I hate to interrupt, but Spira's falling apart with its leaders missing. Check the CommSpheres and see," he says, and Yuna nods, moving over to his computer. Quickly, Shinra begins to type on his computer, and 'Connecting...' comes up on the screen for a brief moment before the screen shifts to that of Mushroom Rock Road. Nothing is seen for a moment, until the familiar face of Yaibal comes into view on the sphere screen.

"Lady Yuna!" he exclaims, bowing slightly out of respect and kneeling down to look into the screen.

"More fiends?" Yuna asks quickly, to which Yaibal shakes his head.

"Actually, we've received some unconfirmed reports of trouble brewing in Bevelle. It seems a unit of New Yevon's troops have been gearing up for a raid. With Nooj gone, they're hoping to strike quickly and catch us off guard," he explains. Yuna's look turns to concern, but Yaibal waves his hand dismissively. "But don't worry about us! We won't be so easily trapped! We're planning to launch a preemptive strike before they can attack. As soon as our preparations are complete, we move on Bevelle!"

"But you're not even sure they're planning an attack, are you?" Yuna asks, confused.

"In war, victory favors the bold!" Yaibal replies, standing up. "I must be off! Farewell!" With that, Yaibal runs off, the sphere screen turning off moments later.

"Well...this could definitely get messy. Bring up Bevelle," I say, Shinra nodding and connecting to the CommSphere in Bevelle. The main temple is shown in the background, and Maroda appears a moment later, kneeling down and looking into the sphere.

"What are you doing?" Yuna asks, wondering what Maroda would be doing walking around in the open at Bevelle.

"Well, for one, I'm running reconnaissance on New Yevon," he replies, glancing around. The Praetor's gone, fiends are running loose...New Yevon is upside down. Fortunately, security is lax, so even Youth League members like me can walk around in the open."

"You there! What are you doing?" Maroda's head snaps up, as the voice of a guard breaks the silence.

"Took them long enough. So long!" he says, standing up quickly and running off, two guards following the Youth League member as the sphere turns off.

"Looks like Nooj and Baralai still haven't come back," Buddy chimes in. "And now Gippal's vanished, too. Spira's three leading big shots have all gone AWOL. If I was one of their followers, I'd be pretty worried...and scared."

"Tension between the two groups is getting volatile. It won't be long before things get very ugly," Shinra says.

"And Vegnagun's on the loose. You can bet Shuyin's controlling that thing," Paine adds.

"I wonder if Gippal and the others are trying to destroy it..." Rikku muses.

"Probably," Paine replies.

"Ooh, nothing makes sense anymore!" Rikku fumes. "I mean, just what the heck are we supposed to do?"

"Keep our wits about us, for one," I say, looking over at Rikku. "Getting angry and frustrated isn't going to help any right now."

"Nooj spoke to me on the Farplane," Yuna says. "He told me to take care of things topside. As if it were the simplest thing to do, really. And everything was going so well..." Trailing off for a moment, Yuna's head drifts downward to stare at the floor, before she looks back at all of us. "I changed my mind. I want to do something. Nooj asked me to help, and that's what I'll do."

"Oac, drec ec dra Yuna dryd E ghuf," Brother remarks, nodding. "Alrighty! Let's smash that action figure! We'll risk our lives and protect Spira from Vegnagun!"

"No, I think...there has to be something we can do besides fighting," Yuna says, shaking her head.

"Like what?" Paine asks, folding her arms.

"With its leaders gone, Spira's falling apart. Maybe we can bring people back together," Yuna explains, looking around.

"Good idea," I say, nodding.

"Yeah! Yeah! Great idea there, Yunie!" Rikku exclaims happily. "So, like, what are we gonna do? Huh?"

No one says anything for a moment, each of us lost in our own thoughts as to what would be the best way to help the people of Spira.

"Sing campfire songs?" Paine asks, shrugging and sounding only half-serious.

"Ooh! That is it!" Brother exclaims, moving into the center of the bridge. "All of Spira will be the captive of Yuna's singing and dancing!" he says, waving his arms and moving as if he were dancing. Resisting the urge to both laugh and facepalm, I look around to see the reactions to Paine's suggestion.

"Great idea!" Rikku agrees, nodding.

"I can handle the techie stuff," Shinra adds.

"H-Hang on!" Yuna stammers, a bit overtaken by all the excitement about something she really hasn't agreed to do yet.

"I know! I know!" Rikku exclaims, jumping up and down happily. "I bet Tobli would help!"

"Good idea..." I say, nodding. "He'd jump at the chance to organize something like this."

"Where is he now?" Buddy asks.

"The Moonflow," Paine replies, glancing over at Buddy absently.

"Gullwings..."

"Move out!" Brother shouts. With that command from Brother, Buddy runs over and begins piloting the Celsius, the massive ship lifting off from the Highbridge and heading towards the silent Moonflow.

"Next stop, the Moonflow! Sorry kids, no time for side trips. You ready for a little Tobli hunt?" Buddy says, seemingly amused by the prospect.

"You bet!" Yuna says excitedly.

* * *

It isn't long before we arrive at the Moonflow. Quickly, Buddy begins to set the Celsius down, as Yuna and the rest of us begin to exit the Celsius. As we do, however, we find that instead of being at the passenger loading area, we're near the fork that leads to either the Moonflow or Djose Temple.

"Yikes, sorry!" Buddy says sheepishly over the comlink. "Must've dropped you off at the wrong place. As long as you're there, why not take a little stroll?"

"Eh, we could use the exercise," I reply, cutting the comlink. "Come on." With that, I begin to walk up the road towards the Moonflow, Yuna and the others behind me.

As we round a corner, we suddenly see two men talking, standing in the middle of the road. Before we can do anything, really, one of the men shouts over to us.

"Hey, you! You haven't see Tobli anywhere around here, have you?" the first says, as the second also turns to face us.

"We have word that he's somewhere nearby." Just as the second man says that, I can see a glimpse of a red outfit. Looking closer, I smile as I see the familiar figure of Tobli, standing behind the two men. The first man to speak follows my gaze, jumping noticeably at the sight of the short figure.

"Aha! There you are!" he yells angrily, as Tobli takes off running towards the Moonflow, the two men not far behind.

"Looks like trouble. Come on!" I cry, beginning to give chase to the men. Despite appearances, Tobli can run quite fast, easily outpacing the men and almost outpacing myself and the rest of us. I can see a glimpse of Tobli entering the passenger waiting area, and we quickly run past the two men, running into the area. Two other men are there, and one of them is advancing on Tobli, who is backed up against the platform. Quickly, the four of us advance on the duo of men, the other two running in behind us.

"Hold it right there!" Yuna yells, glaring at the men.

"You want Tobli? You'll have to go through us first!" I add, looking from the two men near Tobli to the two behind us.

"This ain't none of your business!" one of the men near Tobli yells, apparently the leader. The two men behind us begin to spread out some, obviously preparing for a fight.

"On the contrary," I retort, "you just made it our business. Now, are you going to leave peacefully, or are we going to have to do this the hard way?"

"Get 'em!" the leader yells, the three men advancing on us quickly, as the leader goes for me. Dropping into a defensive stance, I quickly block the man's powerful punch, before jabbing a fist at his chest. He turns, taking it in the shoulder, before cracking me in the jaw with a left hook. Stepping back, I rub my jaw for a moment before growling.

"Big mistake," I mutter, cracking my knuckles and rushing the man. He throws another punch, a powerful right hook which I quickly block, before I slam my fist into his gut. He grunts, kicking up and catching me in the side before I stagger him with an uppercut. Seeing an opening, I run and kick for his chin, catching him in the face with the high kick and throwing him down. A cry of pain comes from my right, and I see Paine stepping back, one of the men clutching his now-bleeding nose. Yuna has her pistols aimed at the third, and Rikku has the fourth on the ground, wincing from a number of small slash wounds.

"Get out of here. Now," Paine says coldly, and the four men scramble to their feet, running off before we can inflict any more damage to them. With the four men now running scared, our attention turns to Tobli, who looks very happy to have been saved.

"Hi, hi, what can I do for you? What brings you here?"

"Well...we were hoping you could help us with something. A concert, really. Yunie had the idea to do something to bring the people of Spira back together, and we came up with the idea to have a concert. Well, really, it was Paine's idea, but..." Rikku explains, trailing off. Tobli seems to think for a moment, before his eyes light up with excitement.

"Spectacularly spectacular! 'Twill be a yummy Yunapalooza indeed! 'Twill go down in history! I most definitely, definitely want to arrange it! Can I, can I?"

"Yup-yup!" Rikku replies, raising a hand in the air.

"A minor detail," Tobli begins, turning to Yuna, "Where oh where should it be?"

"Well, the more people we can gather together, the better," she tells him, causing him to pause for a moment before smiling.

"Aha! Then how about the Thunder Plains? Yes! You could practically pack a plethora of people in that place."

"Sounds good to me," I comment.

"Now, how do we get people to come?" Paine asks. Even Paine seems to be getting into this a little.

"Simple, simple!" Tobli replies. "Leave it to me! My power PR team will push it pronto! Oh, boys!" Looking off to the side of the platform, Tobli gives a loud whistle, causing a group of Hypello to step over. One of them steps up to Yuna, looking up at the taller girl.

"Advertising ish our shpeshalty. We'll get you your shpectatators," the Hypello says.

"Are you sure about this?" Paine asks. Yuna's hand moves to her comlink, as she listens to a message from someone on the Celsius.

"Brother's orders," she says after a moment. "Bring every last Hypello back with us."

"Looks like there's going to be a whole lot more people on the Celsius..." I mutter, as the four of us begin to head back to the Celsius with Tobli and the Hypello trailing behind.

* * *

So, our group has managed to get Tobli to sponsor the concert! But, will everything go as planned...? Keep reading to find out, and as always, please read and review!


	25. Chapter 25: Silent Voice

Finally, my favorite scene in the entirety of X-2. As well as the beginning of the revealing of many things...and plot twists. But before it all begins...replies!

Dairokkan: Indeed.

XxCougarxX: Yeah. The Energizer Bunny is off in a corner somewhere, crying. Along with Sonic the Hedgehog.

Duderman: Oh yes, the storyline will have a little more to it than normal...

Iron Reaver: ...(sniffles)

desert-tiger: Dedication to the extreme. They should take up teaching skydiving.

KamiKaze no Kage: If you haven't seen hectic, you're not gonna see it. (smile)

Arsenel: Really...strange things go on in my mind all the time. And yes, though I do know about the pits, I decided to remain 'ignorant', to keep Yuna and the others from knowing that I know.

Fallenone: No, he couldn't bring back the Final Aeon. And I'll not spoil that detail just yet.

Okay, now that that's settled...concert time! (sits back to watch the show)

* * *

Chapter 25—Silent Voice

"We're over the Calm Lands now," Buddy says, glancing out the front window of the Celsius. "We ready to go?"

"Grab everyone you see!" Brother says. "We do not want anyone in Spira to miss this!"

"Leave it to ush," one of the Hypello says over the radio.

"Will they be all right?" Yuna asks, seemingly just as much to the Hypello in charge as Brother or Buddy.

"Be back in a jiffy, shishter," the Hypello says, before the comlink cuts off. From the window, we can see Hypello leaping off of the deck of the Celsius, and I stare for a moment. I'm a bit curious as to how they remain fine after leaping from the deck to the ground, but I decide to shrug it off. No use thinking about something I'll probably never find the answer to, anyhow.

"They've got guts," Rikku comments, and I nod.

"No kidding."

"All right, next stop!" Buddy says, the Celsius beginning to pick up speed again and head towards our next destination.

"What are you up to?" Yuna asks Shinra, who is typing away furiously on his computer, schematics for something being shown on the screen.

"A project," he replies, glancing at Yuna before pointing to his computer screen. "I'm engineering a giant sphere screen for the stage. That way, even people way in the back will be able to see you."

"Your invention?" she asks, causing Shinra to nod.

"Pretty nice," I say, stepping over and taking a look at the on-screen diagrams.

"I'll be in the cabin if anyone needs me," Yuna says, stepping out of the bridge.

"Yeah, I'm heading to my room for a bit. Looks like you guys have everything under control, anyway," I state, following Yuna out of the room. Quickly, I run down the hallway, managing to make it inside the elevator before the doors close.

"Something wrong?" she asks, and I shake my head.

"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to tell you that you won't be alone in doing this concert," I say, deciding to voice my feelings.

"What do you mean?" she asks, before stopping. "You're going to sing, too?"

"Yeah," I reply, sighing.

"I thought you didn't like attention?"

"I don't, but...there's something inside me that's telling me to do this."

"But..." she begins, stopping for a moment as the elevator doors open, "I don't even know what I'm going to sing."

"You will," I say, stepping out and following her towards the cabin for a moment. "And when you do, you'll know why I want to do this." Yuna looks at me with a confused expression as I step back inside the elevator, letting the doors close once again. Slowly, the elevator ascends again, and I wait patiently until the doors open before stepping out into the hall. Silently, I step into my room and shut the door before sitting down on the bed.

"Yuna isn't the only one feeling things..." I mutter, rubbing my right eye absently. I can feel a steadily growing sense of sadness and regret, apparently remnants of Shuyin's lost feelings at his final moments.As I stare at the wall, looking at it with an empty gaze, I slowly begin to realize something.

"I don't want to be alone...not right now."

Quickly, I stand up from the bed and exit my room, stepping into the elevator. Pressing the button to descend, I wait as the elevator whirrs into motion, making its way back to the cabin. After a moment, the elevator comes to a stop, allowing me to exit into the hallway and walk towards the cabin. As I enter, the first thing that greets me is the sight of Yuna and Rikku dancing, both in the Songstress dressphere. Without making a sound, I move over and lean against the counter, simply continuing to watch.

'_Funny how it took Shuyin's feelings to make me realize something I'd forgotten about my own.'_

After a minute, the two girls stop dancing, Rikku stepping over to me and pulling me into a hug. Smiling, I return the gesture as Yuna begins to speak.

"It's almost time. Do you think people will show up?"

"You betcha!" Rikku replies, letting go of me and turning to her friend. "The Thunder Plains'll be packed! But what're you gonna sing?"

"Umm..."

Yuna seems to ponder this for a moment, before she slowly begins to hum. A soft melody begins to flow from her lips, and Rikku and I both listen for a moment, before Rikku speaks up again.

"Wow, did you write that?" she asks, and Yuna shakes her head.

"It's more like I felt it," she says. "I can hear it echoing inside me."

"Lenne?" Rikku questions, and Yuna nods.

"I think so. I don't know much about her, but I'm learning more and more. Bits and pieces of her memories keep pouring in. It's like...it's like I can feel what she was feeling!"

"Thus shall Lenne's scattered thoughts be woven into bittersweet song," Rikku says, dramatically, before turning back to Yuna with a grin on her face. "Something like that?"

"Hey, that was poetic," Yuna replies, giggling. Suddenly, a glimpse of recognition seems to cross Yuna's face, and she turns to the both of us.

"I know this song!"

"Say what?" Rikku asks, confused. Quickly, Yuna turns to me, excitement written on her face.

"You sang this song two years ago, didn't you?" she asks, and I stay silent for a moment, before nodding.

"Nice to see you remember. I did sing this, at Macalania. That's the reason I want to sing with you," I reply. "The melody...reminds me of things..." At that, I trail off, unable to finish my sentence. Before Yuna or Rikku can question me further, Paine steps into the cabin.

"We'll be arriving soon. After Buddy drops us off, he and the others will go pick up the spectators."

"So we won't be able to board for a while," Yuna remarks, to which Paine nods.

"You got it."

"Ready to go, then?" I ask, looking over the trio of girls. All three of them nod, and the four of us head for the elevator, ascending to the bridge quickly.

"We're over the Thunder Plains," Buddy says as we enter. "You ready to land?"

"Let's land," Yuna says, and Buddy nods, the Celsius beginning to set itself down. Without another word, the four of us begin to head for the exit.

* * *

"Funny. The last time I was here, you were scared to death. Now, you don't even flinch at it."

"Oh, be quiet!"

Chuckling, I watch as Yuna giggles at Rikku's reaction to my statement, and Paine even offers up a grin in amusement.

"You can't say this place doesn't scare you!" she retorts, and I smirk.

"Actually...I can."

As I finish my remark, a lightning bolt strikes the ground a short distance away, sending a near-deafening amount of sound over the area. Wincing, I rub my ears before turning back to Rikku.

"Though...the sound gets on my nerves."

Rikku just rolls her eyes, as a Hypello walks up to us.

"Hello, Gullwings. Good to shee yoo. Are yoo ready to shing your shong?"

"Yeah, more or less," Yuna replies. "You ready?"

"We've got a shticky shituation," the Hypello says, pointing to a small path between the cliffs in the distance. "Shum fiends have shown up to shnack on the shpectatators." In the distance, we can see a large, lizard-type fiend walking between the cliff faces, and we all look at each other.

"Pre-concert hurtfest time," Paine says, and I smirk.

"Indeed. Let's go bag ourselves a lizard," I say, beginning to jog off in the direction of the fiend with the three girls behind me.

* * *

It isn't long before we reach the path, and the cave at the end of it. Peering inside, I can see what appear to be chunks missing from the inside path of the cave, as well as a glimpse of red.

"Yep, it's in there. Let's do it," I say, stepping inside with my sword drawn. Paine and the others draw their weapons, and we begin to advance inside, keeping a close watch on our surroundings to prevent any surprises. Swiftly, the four of us leap over cracks and gaps in the path, making our way to a large platform on the other side of the cave.

The Zalamander fiend is waiting for us, and as we step onto its platform it turns to face us, roaring a challenge with a mouth dripping with saliva and fire.

_(Play FFX theme Enemy Attack)_

"Alright, you overgrown gecko...let's see what you've got," I say, my sword beginning to glow with a bluish-white tint. "Ice Brand!"

My slash hits the Zalamander in the face, a burst of ice slamming into it and making it close its gaping maw. The fiend suddenly jerks even more, and I turn to see Yuna _shooting at me_, the bullets passing me by inches and striking the fiends instead. Thank Yevon that Yuna is a good shot.

"Ice Brand!"

Another slash from Paine cuts a gash in the fiend's left front leg, and it growls, spinning to Paine and I before slapping us away with a clawed leg. As we stumble back, I can see Rikku run up to the fiend and jump into the air, slashing at one of its eyes. The fiend swipes at her, but misses, and she runs back to regroup with us as Yuna puts another barrage of bullets into the fiend.

"Demi Sword!"

My attack slashes the fiend in the underside of its chest, but does nothing besides a small cut in its skin.

"Immune to gravity. Gre..."

I don't get to finish my sentence, as the Zalamander suddenly spins, its powerful tail whipping around and knocking me off my feet to crash into the ground beside Yuna.

"Blizzara!"

Paine's spell smashes the fiend in the face, blinding it for a brief moment, but seemingly doing no damage. As I begin to stand up, I can feel a Cura spell heal my injuries some, and I nod my thanks to Rikku. Paine notices her attack's ineffectiveness, and switches back to Warrior, preparing another Ice Brand attack. Following her lead, I do the same, splitting off and flanking the creature.

"Take this!" I yell, as Paine and I slash down, one on either side of its head. That definitely gets the fiend's attention, and it tries to swipe at Paine with one claw, but only catches her sword as she twists out of the way. With the fiend's attention diverted, I see an opportunity, and stab my sword into the side of its head. Roaring in pain, the Zalamander writhes in agony and smashes its claw into me, knocking me back to the ground as well as pulling my sword out of the side of its face.

"Excalibur!"

Paine's next attack slices through the air at the fiend, drawing a deep gash across it as the holy attack burns into its body. With a screech of pain, the Zalamander crumples to the ground, dissipating into pyreflies that sparkle and float up to the ceiling of the cave before vanishing.

_(End FFX theme Enemy Attack)_

"Well, I believe that makes everything safe for the 'shpectatators'," I say, chuckling a little at the last word.

"Then let's get back to the plains!" Rikku says, excitedly.

"Right!" Yuna agrees, the four of us beginning to run back towards the concert grounds. Far away in the sky, I can see the Celsius approaching, so I turn my comlink on.

"Did you guys get everyone?" I ask, and there's a moment of silence before Buddy replies.

"Uh huh." The sound of Brother saying something can faintly be heard, and Buddy pauses. "Hold on a moment." The sound of scuffling can be heard as Buddy apparently steps out of his seat, before yelling can be heard. "We're landing! If we cram any more people on board, this thing is gonna fall out of the sky," he yells to Brother, causing me to laugh.

"Alright then. We'll be there soon," I say, before closing the link and running to catch up with Yuna and the others.

* * *

A few minutes later, the four of us stand on the bridge of the Celsius, having had to push our way through hordes of people simply to get back inside the ship. I'm not sure how many people they found, but it seems like the entire population of Luca and Bevelle combined could be here, if not more.

"Hey, we brought in people from New Yevon and the Youth League," Brother says, pointing out the window towards the plains. "They're all outside, on the concert grounds."

"Hey, uh, the crowd is acting kinda funny," Rikku says, looking out the window as well.

"Let me pull the video up," Shinra says, typing something on his computer. The four of us walk over and watch as the computer begins to show the events happening outside. People are arguing with each other, and everyone generally looks to be displeased at having the two groups so close together.

"Uh-oh. This could get messy," Rikku whines. I feel inclined to agree with her this time.

"No kidding," Buddy agrees. "The two groups have been bumping heads since they got on the airship. Looks like they're itchin' to start something."

"I'll pick up the audio," Shinra says, typing another series of commands into his computer. The audio soon fades in, revealing a lot of yelling and fighting going on.

"The Yevonites are here, too?" one Youth League member asks, looking insulted. "How am I supposed to enjoy the concert with them stinking up the air?"

"Hey! You Youth League dogs will never be worthy of hearin' the high summoner sing!" a New Yevon member protests.

"If the praetor were here, he'd never let these maggots walk around, spouting their nonsense," another chimes in, causing a multitude of angry stares in his direction.

"What I wanna know is, where'd Nooj go? It's his fault that Spira's falling apart! What kind of leader abandons his people when they need him most?" A chorus of agreements comes after the Youth League member's query, and Shinra cuts the video, the four of us all looking at each other.

"Don't they ever stop?" Yuna asks, sighing.

"Seriously," Rikku agrees.

"Well, Yuna? You're the one who wanted to do something," Paine states, looking over at her friend.

"Yeah, but..." Yuna starts, before stopping and nodding instead. "Right."

"So let's do something," Paine continues.

"Right, let's do it!" Yuna says happily. Suddenly, the bridge door opens, and Tobli comes running in, a little too fast for his own good.

"Oh, catastrophic catastrophe! Dear me, dear me! What oh whatever shall I do!" Tobli exclaims, stopping at the top of the stairs. "The spectators are making a spectacle! I don't even want to speculate! Please! Do something, Yuna!" Yuna just smiles, looking up at Tobli.

"Leave it to us!"

"Yuna, we're counting on you!" he replies, looking down at the girl.

"Showtime?" I ask, smiling.

"On with the show!" she says, turning to Rikku and Paine, before holding her hand out. "Y!"

"R!"

"P!"

"Ready?" Yuna asks, and the other two nod.

"Let's do it!" they all shout at the same time. Quickly, Yuna spherechanges into her Songstress dressphere, and I do the same, joining the three girls in walking to the elevator.

* * *

As we step out onto the deck, I can see hundreds of people around the Celsius, some arguing, some looking up at us intently. Silently, Yuna steps to the very edge of the deck, pulling out a microphone and beginning to speak, the entire crowd going silent at her first words.

"One thousand years ago, before the time of Sin...Spira was torn in two, divided by a terrible war. This was Spira's great mistake. Out of the rift left by this terrible conflict, Sin was born. In only two short years, Spira has shaken off its unhappy past. We have moved on. Now, Spira grows brighter with each passing day. That light is our strength. I don't want to see it fade. Do you? There are so many of us, each with different ideas and different beliefs. Of course we sometimes disagree, and arguments will happen. But our hearts can and should always be one."

The people seem to calm down at Yuna's words, and as Yuna continues to speak, I can hear a slight echo to her voice.

"Believe with me. Even if we're torn apart, our feelings will unite us. That is what this song is about." Silently, I pull out a microphone of my own and move beside Yuna, as music begins to play from the sphere screen behind us.

_(Play FFX-2 theme 1000 Words)_

As the two of us begin to sing, our words carry out over the vast area of the Plains, seeming to leave no corner of the area untouched by the melody. Paine and Rikku stand silently behind us, watching us perform, and the people below are deathly quiet as they gaze up at the two of us.

The sphere screen behind us suddenly starts to shimmer and glow, before flashing and becoming an image of Zanarkand, a thousand years in the past. The screen gives off the illusion that we're flying through the ancient machina city, and the people look around in awe of the sight.

As the song continues, lights begin to sparkle around Yuna, before they fly up and towards the screen. Suddenly, the screen changes to form an all-too-familiar sight: the underground of Bevelle, along with the giant Vegnagun. Images of Shuyin can be seen, staring up at the machina, and we watch as scattered bits of events start to appear. Shuyin stands on top of the organ, examining it, and then begins to play as the two of us come to the chorus.

Before our eyes, the lights that have gathered around Yuna vanish, replacing her image with that of Lenne's. Yuna doesn't seem to notice as she continues to sing, and I do so as well, almost feeling as if I must continue the song all the way to the end. The people continue to stare as the screen shows Shuyin and Lenne standing in front of Vegnagun, as a squad of armed soldiers rush in and point guns at them. The two embrace, knowing that they can't escape, before the guards fire, the two falling to the floor silently.

Again, the lights around Yuna shimmer and change, Lenne's image being replaced by Yuna once more. The lights flow beside Yuna, shining and changing into an exact image of Lenne which begins to sing along with us as we repeat the chorus. The crowd below continues to watch in silent amazement as the three of us continue to sing, lights dancing around the three of us the entire time.

Finally, the song begins to end, and Lenne's image shines before vanishing, the sphere screen rippling and clearing to show the familiar area of the plains once again. As the melody fades out, Yuna's eyes begin to leak tears, and she falls to her knees, quietly sobbing as Rikku and Paine run over to the two of us.

_(End FFX-2 theme 1000 Words)_

"Yunie! Are you okay?" Rikku asks, kneeling down to face Yuna, who is still sobbing slightly. Truthfully, I'm fighting back tears myself. As I was singing, the emotions I was feeling from Shuyin were nearly overwhelming. I can only imagine how Yuna must feel.

A scream breaks the silence, however, and all of us look down to see lightning bolts striking near the crowd. No one has been hit as far as I can see, and my eyes quickly move to the source of the attack.

"Darius," I mutter, my feelings of sadness quickly turning to rage. Sparing a glance down at Yuna, I'm relieved to see her no longer crying, and I turn to Paine.

"You two take care of Yuna. I'm going to deal with this creep for good."

"But..."

"Rikku, trust me! Just get there as soon as you can!" I say, before beginning to spherechange. A few moments later, I find myself in my special dressphere, and I take a deep breath before running and leaping over the side of the Celsius. Quickly, I use Angel Wing, flying back up slightly and looking down at Darius, before diving down to meet him. It's time to finish this...one way or another.

* * *

My favorite part...and I can't insert the lyrics! (cries) ...Ah well. I'll try and put up an unedited version on my site soon; you can check the homepage link in my profile for that link. But as for next chapter...all heck breaks loose as the final battle with Darius commences! And more plot revealing than you can shake a stick and 13/27ths of another stick at! As always, please review! 


	26. Chapter 26: Strands Of Fate

It's time. The revealing of many things is upon us! (laughing manically) Anyhow...first thing's first.

Dairokkan: Hm...One Winged Angel is nice as well. You'll see my musical choice for this fight.

Arsenel: Basically, had some issues with people placing song lyrics in their fics (can't remember the entirety of it), and so they simply decided to ban all song lyrics from being used. I hope to have a version with the lyrics included on my site soon. And the stick...figure of speech. (smile)

Shadowkiller27: I'll do my best. I'm quite a bit busy with work and college now, though.

Iron Reaver: (also clears throat) And I believe you're overestimating your own strength. Also...who says I'll be alone?

ChaosRonin: I don't believe I've welcomed you yet (if I have, I've forgotten), so welcome to Eternal Requiem! And yes, final battles are fun to write.

Duderman: Oh yeah. And I believe you're referring to Drante. I'll not say anything...

KamiKaze no Kage: Oh, when you see this chapter's twists, you'll see why it was hard to write.

XxCougarxX: Wait till you see this one. (smile)

Omega Gilgamesh: If you're reading this, then welcome to Eternal Requiem! Yes, Drante looks just like Vincent. The character is not mine, but yes, the resemblance was intentional.

Zysos: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Zysos! I'll try, but as I said above, I'm quite busy now with both work and college. --

Anyway...onward to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 26—Strands Of Fate 

Gliding down, I instinctively grab both swords from their sheathes on my back, holding them beside me as I fly towards Darius. Slowly, he looks upward at me, stepping back a few steps as I land on the ground. Both swords come up in front of me in an attack position as Darius smiles.

"Well, well...you're back for...what is this? The third time you're going to be beaten down?" he says, chuckling.

"This time is different."

"Oh, really?"

"Really. One, I'm more powerful than I was before," I say, staring him down with an impassive expression, "And two, I'm not alone." As I finish speaking, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine run up beside me, weapons drawn.

_(Play Star Ocean 3 theme Powerbroker)_

"This is it! It's time to fight! No turning back, no hesitation!" I yell, staring down the figure of Darius DeValle with Yuna, Rikku, and Paine by my side.

"So you think you have what it takes to bring me down, now that you're all together?" Darius asks smugly. "Let's find out! Thundaga!" The lightning attack strikes me hard, forcing me back a few steps as the charge courses through my body.

"Liquid Steel!" Paine yells, slashing down at Darius with all her might. Darius simply vanishes, reappearing behind Paine and smashing into her back with a clubbing strike. Grabbing his pistols, he turns to Yuna, who also has her pistols raised for a volley of shots.

"Take this!" he cries, unleashing a Trigger Happy attack at Yuna at the exact same time that she uses her own. Bullets fly between the two, striking both of them hard, but Darius seems to come out unscathed.

"You're boring me. Haste!" he yells, his movements becoming faster and even harder to see. Before I can react, I'm sent spinning to the ground, my head throbbing from the sudden strike by the butt of Darius' pistol. A cry sounds out a moment later, Rikku joining me on the ground in much the same fashion.

"Demi Sword!"

Paine charges up to Darius and lands a hit on him before he can react, slashing across his side. The attack seems to do little else, however. Angrily, he spins to Paine, re-holstering his pistols and grabbing a rifle from his back.

"Kazkata!"

Darius' shot echoes throughout the immediate area as Paine is almost lifted off her feet by the power of the attack. With a scream of pain, she falls to the ground, a large hole in her stomach now almost pouring blood.

"Paine!" I scream, standing up quickly. Rikku springs to her feet, spherechanging to White Mage and running over to her fallen friend. Yuna's eyes are now blazing with fury as she spherechanges to Black Mage.

"Waterga!" she yells, blasting the spell at Darius.

"Shell!" he shouts, the magical barrier covering him as the spell washes over him, doing little damage. "Face it! You're outmatched!"

"I'll make you suffer..." I mutter, glancing over at Paine and Rikku. Quickly, I level my palm at Darius, casting a spell of my own. "Firaga!" My spell does as little as Yuna's did, however.

"Let me show you a real spell!" he replies, aiming a palm at me. "Flare!" My eyes go wide as the non-elemental energy slams into me, blowing me clear off my feet and into the hard ground of the plains. "Pitiful," he continues, shaking his head before evading another shot from Yuna without even looking, "I should just end this now." Light gathers around Darius as he now begins to spherechange, giving little worry to the four of us. When the light clears, Darius is now garbed in a black, zip up shirt and a black pair of pants. A pair of brown boots adorn his feet, and he also wears a red jacket that goes down to nearly the back of his knees. All of his guns are still on his person as well.

"Now...let me show you the _true _power of a lightning alchemist!" he yells, holding a palm to the sky. He then brings his hand down towards us, causing bolts of lightning to strike at us from above. Quickly, we dive out of the way of the electrical energies, trying to find a moment to retaliate. Grunting in pain, I make it back to my feet, trying to find the concentration to cast another spell.

"Blizzaga!" I yell, the spell rocketing towards Darius, but bouncing off of a shield of pure energy that now surrounds him.

"Too slow," he mocks, raising a palm to me in response. "Thundaga!" The spell jolts me to the bone, making my body twitch several times before I slump to the ground. Silently, I fall out of Angel Wing, nearly paralyzed from the spell.

"Ben!" Rikku yells, spherechanging into her Machina Maw dressphere and glaring at Darius. Yuna also spherechanges into her special dressphere, as the both of them begin to call forth attacks.

"Aqua Whirl!"

"Stop Missile!"

A chain of water attacks, followed quickly by a duo of powerful missiles strike Darius, causing an explosion around where he's standing. Looking around, I notice Paine has now spherechanged into Black Mage, standing once again after Darius' Kazkata attack.

"Finally...some fight out of you," Darius says, the cloud of smoke around him dissipating to reveal a few burnt edges on his coat, but no damage other than that. "Looks like I'll have to take it up a notch." Shouldering his rifle once again, he aims carefully as a red ball of energy begins to form, covering the barrel of the weapon. "Charfire!"

The energy from the barrel seems to explode outward in a great wave, the attack bearing down on us mercilessly. Yuna and Rikku scream as they're thrown back, and Paine and I also cry out as the attack picks us all up and throws us to the ground, badly injured now.

"This...is crazy..." I mutter, unable to do much else but sit up some. "How is he...so powerful...?"

"You want to give up now, or do I have to beat you down some more?" he says, smirking and holding the rifle over his shoulder. Painfully, I pull myself back to my feet, the three girls doing the same.

"If you think...I'm giving up this easily...you're more stupid than I thought!" I yell defiantly, causing Darius' eyes to narrow.

"Really? I think you four are the stupid ones for even trying to stop me in the first place. You should've just let me have my fun."

"Fun! You call this," I yell, furiously motioning around at the area we're in, now littered with marks and craters, "fun!"

"You just don't get it," he retorts, shaking his head. "Oh well. Guess I'll finish you off, then." As Darius lifts his rifle to fire another attack, he suddenly pauses, lowering it again and looking up towards the sky. That's when we all notice something.

The storm has stopped. Completely. In the heat of battle, none of us had even bothered to pay notice to the now non-existent storm in the Thunder Plains. All of us are frozen for a moment, looking around at the seeming impossibility of the current situation.

"_He's weakened."_

"What?" I ask Shuyin, confused. "How do you know?"

"_I'm an unsent. We possess senses that no living person has. And I can tell that the one you're fighting has weakened."_

Without bothering to reply to Shuyin, I look over at Yuna, who has also picked herself up from the ground. Rikku and Paine have also gotten back up, and the former is looking at me. I curse inwardly as I realize that I said that out loud, and that now Rikku is sure something is up. Sighing, I make up my mind to tell them after the fight, before turning to Yuna.

"We've got to hit him now. We might not get another chance," I say, already tired from the fight. "And we can't let up. If we do, we're done for." Yuna seems to think my words over for a moment, before nodding.

"Alright, let's go!"

"Rikku, I'm gonna need a lift," I say, turning to her. Quickly, she nods, lowering her 'pet' to the ground some to let me jump onto its shoulder. As I do so, Yuna and Paine charge, the latter having spherechanged into Full Throttle while Yuna and I were talking.

"Aqua Whirl!"

"Fiers!"

Yuna's attack connects with Darius, a chain of Water-element spells exploding in his face and disorienting him for a brief moment. That turns out to be all the time Paine needs to get right in front of the marksman, slashing him across the chest with a powerful strike that actually forces him back a step or two.

"...That almost hurt," he says, his face contorting into a smirk as he puts the rifle away, grabbing his magnum from its holster. His body begins to glow yellow again, and my eyes go wide as I hear him call out his Overdrive.

"Arc-Deuce!"

Darius' body just seems to _vanish_, his movements happening almost too fast for the naked eye to see. Yuna and Paine suddenly cry out in pain, and I'm barely able to catch a glimpse of Darius before bullets begin to slam into both me and Rikku as well, sending her staggering back from the strikes and almost causing me to lose my balance on top of her 'pet'. Fighting through the pain, I grit my teeth and hold on, as Darius' form begins to slow and fade back into view.

"Floral Rush!"

I smile as I feel the power of Haste come into effect over my body, speeding up my movements as well as those of everyone else. Quickly, I leap into the air before slashing my sword outward, the blade glowing with red light.

"Crescent Strike!"

As fast as Darius currently is, my attack is faster, and the crimson, blade-shaped energy wave rockets towards him, cutting into his side and causing him to look up at my now-falling form.

"You're a pest," he says, taking aim again. Before he can react, though, Paine slams into him, knocking him to the ground. Taking that as a moment of opportunity, we all begin to call out attacks, hoping to inflict some damage on the marksman.

"Floral Bomb!"

"Blind Shell!"

"Whelmen!"

"Fated Circle!"

The four attacks slam into Darius' rising form with terrifying force, and a giant cloud of dust erupts from the ground around him, shrouding him from view. Taking a chance to catch my breath, I shield my eyes, unable to see anything for the dust. Finally, as the dust clears, we can see Darius standing there, singed and fuming from the series of attacks.

_(End Star Ocean 3 theme Powerbroker)_

Without a word, Darius returns his magnum back to its holster, still seemingly furious at us. To my surprise, however, he begins to walk towards us, chuckling as he does so.

"Well, well, well...looks like you finally grew a spine," he says, looking over the four of us, who are still in our special dresspheres and breathing heavily.

"Shut it...jerk..." I say, trying to slow my breathing. Darius just rolls his eyes.

"I told you before, you should've just let me have my fun. But you didn't listen. Typical. Too stubborn for your own good."

"Why...just why?" I ask, shaking my head. "Why would you bother doing all of this? You don't seem to have gotten anything out of it, except..."

"You mean to tell me that you _still_ haven't figured it out?" Darius asks, seemingly stunned. "Ugh...should I write it out for you?"

"Just shut up and spill it," I mutter, too tired to deal with his arrogant attitude.

"I wanted a good fight."

At that comment, I blink, absolutely stunned by what Darius has just said.

"You...what?" I ask slowly, anger beginning to creep into my voice.

"You heard me. I wanted a good fight. It's no fun sparring with Revolver and Katanas all the time. I wanted a change."

"And you came here, used the aeons, chanced harming innocent people, and generally created havoc just to have someone to fight!" I exclaim, shocked and enraged at the same time.

"Hey! No one got hurt! If the fiends hurt someone, that had nothing to do with me. I only controlled the aeons, not the fiends! What they did is their fault. Did you see me attacking innocent people with them?" he retorts, folding his arms.

"You tried to hit the people here on the plains with lightning!" I reply.

"And if I really wanted to, don't you think I...you know, would've?" he says sarcastically. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't say anything to respond to that, and so I just begin to mutter various things under my breath. Darius just smirks, giving a light chuckle before beginning to step away.

"Well, guess there's nothing left to do here," he says, stopping for a moment and turning back to us, before shaking his head and vanishing.

"I really hate that guy," I mutter, turning to walk back towards the Celsius. As I turn, though, I notice Yuna and the others looking at an approaching figure. I can't quite make out who it is at this distance, though. Squinting to see better, my eyes suddenly go wide as a person who I thought I'd never see again comes into view.

"...Sir Auron...?"

To my great surprise, the guardian whom I thought was dead is striding towards us, his walk filled with obvious purpose and intent. My mouth opens in obvious shock as he steps up to us, Yuna and I instinctively bowing to him out of respect, just as we did two years ago. Nothing is said for a moment, before Auron finally decides to speak.

"Yuna. Rikku. Ben," he says, nodding to each of us in turn. His eyes glance over Paine, and he raises an eyebrow behind his glasses at the girl, but says nothing.

"Oh...uh...Sir Auron, this is our friend, Paine," Yuna stammers, quickly introducing Paine. My mind is doing loops right now at the sight of Auron standing in front of us, even though I clearly saw him leave for the Farplane two years ago. Yuna and I sent him ourselves, but he's here in front of us now, somehow. Rikku seems to be stunned into absolute silence, as she hasn't said or made an attempt to say anything so far. Finally, I decide to ask the question that's undoubtedly on all of our minds.

"...You should be..."

"Dead?" Auron finishes, cutting me off in mid-sentence.

"Well...yeah. I mean, we...Yuna and I sent you ourselves. I _saw you leave! _How...how are you back?"

"For a time, I believed the same," Auron replies, the same stoic expression on his face as always. A lightning bolt then strikes the ground nearby, causing a loud burst of sound to fill the area.

"Um...can we get inside now?" Rikku says, looking a little uneasy. Yuna nods, and the four of us quickly begin to walk towards the Celsius. Auron looks up at the large airship with a look of interest, before following the four of us inside.

* * *

"You never answered my question." 

Auron turns to look at me as I say that, before chuckling.

"I see you're no more patient than I remember. Very well," he says, leaning against the wall with his arm tucked inside his coat, "I'll explain. Tell me, what do you believe you saw when you sent me?"

"...Pyreflies. Your pyreflies," I answer, not seeing what Auron is getting at.

"You would be mistaken."

"Say what?"

At this, my mind does yet another spin, Auron's answer confusing me beyond anything I'd thought possible.

"When you sent me, what you saw were not pyreflies from my body. They were pyreflies placed there by an outside source...Lady Yunalesca."

"Whoa, wait a second here. Yunalesca!" I exclaim, my eyes going wide in shock as Yuna also gasps in surprise. "What does she have to do with this?"

"Calm down. As I was saying, the pyreflies that you saw were not mine. It was actually quite clever on Yunalesca's part. To keep the futility of the Final Summoning a secret from those guardians who might reveal the truths behind it, she had to resort to...other methods of persuasion."

"And when you say that, you mean..."

"She altered the memories of those who came seeking her, and the Final Aeon. She infused them with pyreflies, changing their minds so intensely that they believed whatever she placed into their minds without question. As for myself...the suggestions she placed in my mind were quite strong. So much so, that when I began to believe I was unsent...I could very well have been."

"So, you're saying that Yunalesca was powerful enough to pretty much make people unsent? That..." At that, I trail off, unable to find words.

"Ordinarily,if I had been sent, it would have been just as if I had truly died. My soul would have gone to the Farplane, to join the rest of the deceased. However, the one thing that saved my soul from being lost...was Sin. The toxin that the creature possessed disrupted the suggestions that Yunalesca placed into my mind. So when you sent me, even though the pyreflies were sent...my body remained in another realm. I have...someone to thank for showing me the light," Auron says, his face returning to its normal expression, clearly showing that he is finished speaking.

"So...you're back, for good?" Yuna asks slowly, to which Auron simply turns to face her.

"Maybe. You, of all people, should know that our time here is never defined," he replies, and I find myself agreeing. Silently, I move past the two towards the elevator, Rikku stopping me by placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Where are you going?" she asks, cutting in again before I can answer. "And who were you talking to when we were outside?" For a moment, a part of me had hoped that she had forgotten.

"I'll explain later. I've got...something to do right now," I say, turning and stepping into the elevator before she can say anything else. Quickly, I press a button, the elevator beginning to ascend slowly, before stopping and opening to reveal the hallway leading to our rooms. The elevator doors close behind me as I step into my room, shutting the door behind me.

"Bahamut...?" I ask slowly, hoping that the fayth can hear me.

"Yes?" he replies, causing me to spin around, the smaller fayth floating behind me.

"You said something a while back about being permitted to help by someone," I begin, trying to figure out a way to word my question. "...You stopped the storm, didn't you?"

"It was not me," he says, "but it was in a way. The higher powers did not know what would happen if Darius kept control of the sphere any longer...and so, they decided to intervene."

"Wait...what higher powers?"

"I am not allowed to say."

"And what about the sphere? Doesn't he still have it?" I ask, confused.

"No. It was destroyed during the fight," Bahamut replies, to which I breathe a sigh of relief.

"At least that's over with..." I mutter, glad to have at least one of my many questions answered. "Thanks." Bahamut gives a short nod, before vanishing once again. Burying my face in my hands, I fall back onto the bed as I contemplate how best to explain everything to Rikku and the others.

* * *

Okay. Be honest. How many of you expected that! (resumes laughing) ...Okay, I'm done. The idea for Auron's return is not mine, that belongs to Daniel Wesley Rydell. For a better explanation of Auron's situation, read his two stories 'Foreshadow of Memory' and 'Subtleties of Honor'. You should get a pretty good idea. 

Finally...the turning point is here. It's all downhill from here, folks! As always, please review!


	27. Chapter 27: Light & Darkness Intertwined

Well, I've had a case of the 'busies' this week...college finals coming up, website design, and just generally never having time to do much that I wanted. But, with my semester ending this week...I should have more time for writing. And hopefully, I'll be able to finish up Eternal Requiem by January's end.

Well, as they've discontinued the review replies, I'll just get straight to the point. The replies have been e-mailed, and now on to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 27—Light And Darkness Intertwined

The lightning bolts striking outside the Celsius are doing nothing to interrupt my muddled thoughts. I'm not sure whether I'm happy or sad because of that fact, either.

'_I should just come right out and say it. No dancing around it. Just say it and get it over with.'_

With a deep sigh, I stand up from my bed and begin to head for the cabin.

'_I just hope they're not mad at me for not telling them sooner.'_

"Hey!"

Accompanied by a thump, a short cry rings out as I open the door. Peeking around the door, I see Rikku on the ground, having apparently been hit by the door. Paling a tiny bit, I step over to help her up.

"You okay there?" I say, helping her off the floor.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replies, smiling. "I was coming to talk to you."

"Same. But...I think this is something that all three of you should hear. Are Yuna and Paine still in the cabin?"

Rikku nods, and I begin to head for the elevator with her close behind me.

"This must really be bugging you," she says, as the doors close. "You're not acting like yourself."

'_You have no idea, Rikku...' _

"It is. I think I'll feel better once I get this over with, but..."

"But what?"

'_But...I'm afraid they might hate me...I'm afraid **you **might hate me.'_

"...Nothing," I reply softly, stepping out of the elevator and walking towards the cabin. Rikku follows quietly, and I step inside to see Yuna and Rikku sitting on stools next to the counter.

"Hey," I say, waving a little. "Where's Auron?"

"He already left," Yuna replies, standing up from the stool and walking over. "Said he had some things to take care of."

"Typical Auron. Can't relax for one minute," I say, shaking my head.

"Something wrong?" Yuna asks, noticing the look on my face. With a sigh, I walk to a table and sit down, facing all three of them.

"I've got something to tell you. Something I should've told you a long time ago," I remark, turning to Yuna. "Yuna, you're connected to Lenne through the Songstress dressphere, right?"

"That's right," she says, not seeing what I'm leading up to.

"Well," I begin, standing up again and taking a deep breath, "I'm connected to Shuyin through my Warrior dressphere."

The silence in the room is so thick now, you could cut it with a knife. Slowly, I draw my sword, the blue blade shining slightly in the light.

"This sword...is Shuyin's. I don't know why I'm connected to him, but I am. I can feel everything that he feels. Just like you can feel Lenne, Yuna."

No one says anything for a minute, simply staring at me in silent shock. Unconsciously, I shiver, the stares beginning to worry me as to the thoughts going through their minds.

"How long...have you been that way?" Yuna finally asks, breaking the ominous silence.

"Remember the first time I spherechanged to Warrior on Gagazet?" I prompt, causing Yuna's eyes go wide in recognition. "Since then."

"But...you're still you, right?" Rikku asks, somewhat nervously.

"As far as I know...yes," I reply, not wanting to make the situation any worse. Before anyone else can say anything, however, Buddy's voice comes over the intercom.

"Gullwings! To the bridge!"

"Sounds like trouble," I say, glad to be out of the center of all the attention. "Let's go!" Quickly, I dash out of the cabin, headed for the elevator with everyone behind me.

* * *

"What's going on?" Yuna asks as we enter the bridge.

"Looks like something's going on at Mushroom Rock Road. Some girl busted past the Youth League members and headed down into the canyon," Buddy explains, and I scrunch my face in confusion, before blinking.

"...The Den of Woe," I say after a moment, the answer hitting me squarely in the face.

"Let's get down there!" Yuna says quickly, and Buddy nods, beginning to pilot the Celsius towards Mushroom Rock Road.

* * *

"Lady Yuna! Thank goodness you're here!" Lucil says as we approach, running up to meet us.

"What's the problem?" I ask quickly, causing Lucil to turn back towards the path leading down into the canyon.

"Some girl in a blue outfit ran right past the guards and went down there. We tried to go after her, but the fiends...they're getting too numerous for us to handle."

"Must be getting pretty bad here..." I mutter.

"Leave it to us!" Yuna exclaims, clenching a fist. "Gullwings, let's go!"

"Right!" Rikku and Paine say, beginning to run off towards the canyon.

"We'll take care of it, Lucil," I say, before following the three girls.

Lucil wasn't kidding about the fiends. As I catch up with Yuna and the others, I can see scattered groups of pyreflies, all that remain of fiends that got in the trio's way. Quickly, I unsheathe my sword, looking over the blade that I've fought with so many times before.

"Funny...fate really has it in for me," I mutter, before jogging over to the entrance of the canyon.

"I don't see anything yet," Rikku says, peering down into the dark canyon.

"Then let's go down there," Paine says, rolling her eyes at Rikku. Rikku just sticks her tongue out, before Yuna begins to leap down into the canyon with the three of us following.

The dark trail to the Den of Woe seems even darker now, as evening is beginning to fall over the area. Squinting, I can soon see the entrance to the cave, and the four of us run towards it full speed. As we enter, who should we find but Lenna, examining the door to the cave intently.

"Lenna!" I yell, diverting her attention away from the door and towards us.

"You again," she says, sighing. "What do you want?"

"What are you doing here?" Yuna asks.

"If you must know, I came here to see what was behind this door. But I can't open it. I'm still missing one sphere, and I've looked everywhere for it," she says, frustrated.

"Wait a minute...one sphere?" I ask, to which she nods. Nodding, I turn to Yuna. "Yuna, we've got the other one!"

"We do?" she asks, confused.

"Yeah! Logos and Ormi dropped it the first time we came here! They must've been trying to open the door, too," I say, to which Yuna's eyes widen.

"That's right!" she says, digging around in a pouch on her belt, before pulling out an orange-colored sphere. Quickly, she walks over to the door, placing the sphere into the remaining hole. The spheres all glow with orange light, beams of light moving from the spheres to the center of the door, before the door raises up slowly, revealing the cave beyond.

"Spiffy," I mutter, looking at the now-revealed cave.

"Time to face my past. Come on," Paine says, beginning to walk into the cave. Yuna and Rikku follow, as do Lenna and I. As the five of us walk through the cave, I turn to Lenna, a stern expression on my face.

"Okay. Level with me. Who are you?" I ask bluntly, not wanting to waste time with idle talk.

"I'm not telling you," she replies, equally bluntly.

"Yes you are," I retort, eyes narrowing. Lenna and I glare at each other for a moment, before she finally sighs.

"Alright, fine. You're not gonna leave me alone until I tell you, so I may as well get it over with," she mutters. "The reason I didn't want to say anything...is because of who I'm related to." Quirking an eyebrow, I look at the smaller girl.

"Who you're related to? What would that have to do with anything?" I ask, now confused.

"Trust me...it has a lot to do with things. I'm from Guadosalam, and...I'm related to Seymour Guado."

At that statement, I stop completely, looking over at the smaller girl with an expression of anger.

"...Wait a minute. Seymour? So, what, are you gonna betray us like he did?" I ask, slightly angry now that she kept that from us all this time.

"I'm not like him!" she replies. "I'm...I was his cousin, but after he did the things he did, I got kicked out of Guadosalam...no one wanted to associate with the family of a 'madman.'

"I thought all the Guado were behind that jerk?" I mutter, trying to calm myself down.

"It's not what you think. You're right, there were a lot of the Guado that followed him...but just as many didn't like what he did. They were all silent, though...they didn't want to say anything out of fear that something would happen to them. They were the ones who kicked me out after he was sent to the Farplane," she explains. Slowly, I take a deep breath, managing to calm myself down once again.

"Alright...fine. I believe you. But I'm warning you...try anything, and I'll personally kick your tail all the way back to Guadosalam. Got it?"

"Whatever..." she replies, shaking her head.

"Let's just get back to the others..." I say, beginning to run down the passageway with Lenna following.

* * *

"Whoa..." Lenna says softly, as the two of us step into a large chamber. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are staring in awe, much the same as she is. The entire chamber is alive with pyreflies, the colorful lights floating around the chamber and providing illumination to the room.

"Something's coming!" Rikku exclaims, pointing to the back of the room. The pyreflies around the chamber begin to swirl around at the back, as three faint images begin to appear. Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal.

"Guys!" Paine shouts, looking at the three images. Just as quickly as they came, the images vanish, however, leaving us alone once again.

"You okay?" Yuna asks Paine, who nods.

"What was that?"

"Are they...unsent?" Rikku asks, then shakes her head. "No, that can't be right."

"Memories. This place traps memories. It's like one big sphere...just like Zanarkand was, two years ago," I explain, looking around.

"Those were the guys' memories from back then...preserved by the pyreflies. Memories. Or two-year old nightmares," Paine says. Suddenly, another image begins to appear in front of us, and a chill runs down my spine as a ghostly image of Shuyin fades into view, pyreflies flittering around him.

"Older than that," he says.

"Shuyin," Yuna and I say, simultaneously.

"You!" Paine exclaims.

"I wanted to rest forever, but the pyreflies make me relive that moment," he says slowly. "Again and again and again..." Suddenly, Shuyin vanishes, reappearing near Rikku and moving around her body.

"Rikku!" I yell, stepping towards her quickly.

"No...no!" she yells, squeezing her eyes shut and yanking out her daggers, before slashing through the air once.

"Rikku!" Yuna exclaims, starting to move towards her cousin.

"Stay back, Yuna!" I yell, as Paine tries to slash at the ethereal image of Shuyin. Shuyin moves closer to Paine, however, and Paine freezes, grunting as Shuyin begins to control both of their minds.

"What's going on?" Yuna asks, stepping back. Shuyin floats over to Yuna, moving closer to her and almost seeming to smirk.

"You will see," he says, before floating beside her. Suddenly, Yuna collapses to the floor, leaving Lenna and I to deal with Rikku and Paine. Quickly, I raise my sword, stepping into a defensive stance as the two approach.

"I don't want to fight you!" I yell, hoping to snap them out of their trance. They don't respond, though, and advance on me, Rikku swinging her daggers wildly. Sword flashing, I deflect the strikes, keeping the flat of the blade to Rikku so as to avoid hurting her. Paine charges in with an overhead slash, which clangs off of my sword blade and sends a shiver up my arm. Suddenly, a black cloud appears over their eyes, courtesy of Lenna.

"Thanks," I say, the two stumbling around blindly now. Slowly, Yuna begins to get back to her feet, looking at Rikku and Paine.

"Stop!" she yells, and the two turn to her as the blindness dissipates. Rikku charges Yuna, and Paine charges me again, Shuyin using them both as puppets.

"Get a hold of yourself, Paine!" I exclaim, smashing the hilt of my sword into her face. Paine stumbles back, spinning and attacking with a high slash, which I duck. Quickly, I lash out with a leg, sending her to the ground as I knock her legs out from under her. As she starts to get back up, I smash a foot into the side of her head, knocking her down to the ground again. This time, she doesn't move.

"Yuna!" I yell, seeing Yuna fighting off Rikku with accurate shots from her pistols. Rikku moves in to strike at Yuna, but Yuna dodges and slams the pistol into Rikku's head, making her crumple to the ground.

"Are you okay?" I ask, and she nods.

"I'm fine," she replies.

"What in the world is going on!" Lenna exclaims, looking at the slowly rising figures of Rikku and Paine.

"Shuyin's using them...just like he used Paine's friends two years ago," I reply. "I'll give you a better explanation later!"

"Shuyin is no ordinary unsent!" Rikku says, shaking her head to clear it.

"Seems that way," Paine says, nodding. "When he died a thousand years ago, his feelings became intertwined with the pyreflies, creating this...apparition."

"He's like a dream...or a nightmare," Yuna comments.

"Only this one is all too real," I add.

"He must have had some serious regrets for his feelings to act on their own like that," Rikku comments.

"He does," I say, turning to them. "That's all I can feel from him. Anger, hate, despair...regret and hurt."

"This is what destroyed the Squad," Paine explains. "Despair strong enough to crush the minds of those it touches. What just happened to us happened to them, too. Here. They felt Shuyin's despair. They went mad, and they died. They killed each other!"

"But these three lived," Shuyin says, reappearing nearby, images of Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai beside him. "So...I decided to use them."

"You'll pay!" Paine says, slashing her sword through the air in anger.

"I'm coming for you, Shuyin! Better get ready!" I say, dropping into a fighting stance as the trio of ghosts advance.

_(Play FFX theme The Deceased Laugh)_

"Power Break!" I yell, slashing into Nooj with fury powering my strike. The ghost seems to feel pain from the impact, before it blasts me in the chest with a pistol. I wince from the strike, stepping back some and spherechanging into Black Mage. Spells will probably work better against these things.

"Fira!" I hear Lenna cry, and look at the ghost of Baralai just in time to watch flames erupt around it, followed by a second spell a moment later.

"Thundaga!"

Paine's attack slams into Baralai, and the ghost runs up to Paine with its staff held high, smashing it down and into her side. Paine grunts under the attack, before also moving back some.

"Cura!" Rikku yells, having spherechanged into White Mage. The spell washes over Paine, healing her bruises and cuts from the fight before as well.

"Firaga!" Yuna's spell hits Gippal squarely, and the specter backs off from its target, Lenna, before firing a round from a large gun at Yuna. Yuna cries out as the round explodes, knocking her back.

"Yuna!" I yell, turning to Gippal. "Blizzaga!" My spell hits Gippal in the chest, making it stumble back from the force. A yell of rage sounds out in the chamber, and I see Baralai's ghost hit the dirt, courtesy of another Thundaga spell from Paine.

"Watera!" Lenna cries, the spell hitting Nooj, but not having much of an effect. The ghost turns to her, shooting her with the pistol in its hand before Yuna sends it to the ground with a Firaga spell. The two ghosts begin to fade away, leaving only Gippal left.

"Take this!" Rikku exclaims, slashing with her two daggers, now back in the Thief dressphere. Her daggers leave marks in the ghost's body, and a Fira spell from Paine sends it sprawling to the dirt for good, fading away a moment later.

_(End FFX theme The Deceased Laugh)_

"No one uses my friends," Paine remarks, spherechanging to Warrior again. Quickly, I do the same, as Rikku turns to us.

"Anyways, let's go outside," she says, voice trembling a little. "I don't want to be here."

"Good idea. Let's get out of this place," I mutter, beginning to lead everyone out of the cave.

'_I told you I'm coming for you, Shuyin. It won't be long at all...and then, I'm going to make you pay.'_

"_...We shall see," _Shuyin replies, chuckling inside my head.

'_...I know you're hurting. I know you feel angry over what happened to you and Lenne...but this isn't the way.'_

Shuyin doesn't respond to me, leaving me to my own thoughts as the five of us continue to run out of the cave.

* * *

This chapter was very hard for me to write. I puzzled over it for a while, and even now, I still don't believe I did as well as I would've liked. But, perhaps I'm just not giving myself enough credit. As always, please review!


	28. Chapter 28: From Hunted To Hunters

Well, inspiration strikes again, I suppose. Finished this chapter in all of about...two days. O.o Anyhow...we're moving into the ending now...so sit back and enjoy the show.

* * *

Chapter 28—From Hunted To Hunters

What now...?

The inevitable question, with only one equally inevitable answer.

We stop Shuyin.

* * *

"It was Shuyin." Paine's voice cuts through the overbearing silence that the five of us have held since leaving the Den of Woe. "Two years ago, the guys encountered Shuyin's memories and learned of Vegnagun. After we escaped, they said they would uncover the truth behind it. But then...Nooj shot us," Paine explains, eyes falling to the ground momentarily. "We thought he'd betrayed us. But Nooj wasn't Nooj. I understand now...Shuyin was using him the whole time."

All this time, I've known that we would have to stop Shuyin sooner or later. But now, after hearing all of this with my own ears, I'm becoming less adamant about my decisions.

'_If it were Rikku and I in their places...wouldn't I go to any lengths to save her? To avenge her? Can I really go through with this...now that I truly understand?'_

"Let's go find him, Paine," Yuna says, looking at her friend.

"Agreed. We've got to free him from Shuyin," Paine replies, nodding. Rikku moves in between them suddenly, looking between the both of them.

"Not so fast," she says.

"What?" Yuna replies, confused.

"Remember when the three of them were meeting in the Bevelle underground? All these pyreflies came floating out of Nooj's body in a big cloud. And then they went whooshing into Baralai's body!" she says, motioning with her hands to simulate the pyreflies. "So doesn't that mean Shuyin's using Baralai now?"

"Oh!" Paine exclaims, realization hitting her in the face. "Hey Rikku, not bad." Rikku just giggles in reply.

'_I have to...no matter what, I have to go through with this. If I don't...if **we **don't, Spira's finished.'_

"I guess it's Baralai we're saving, then," Paine continues, looking around. "By the way, you'll be helping."

"Why wouldn't we!" Yuna says, faking hurt.

"Yeah, you've already dragged us all over Spira!" Rikku adds.

"Wait...wasn't that me and Yuna?" I say cheekily, earning a swat from Rikku on the arm.

"Thank you," Paine says, the first true smile I've seen on her face in a while appearing.

"So, Lenna," I begin, turning to the younger girl, "are you up for this, too?"

"Why not," she replies, shaking her head. "Can't be anything worse than what I've already gotten into hanging around you guys."

"Aw, I never knew you cared," I say sarcastically, getting an eyeroll for my troubles.

"Leaving me out, I take it?"

Turning to the entrance to the cave, I see the figure of Drante Vego leaning against the wall, a long sword held in his right hand.

"The more, the merrier," Yuna says, smiling.

"You're coming too, I take it?" I ask, and Drante nods.

"If what I've learned is true, then you will need all the help you can get," he replies. I find myself nodding; for all of my knowledge of this world, I've yet to see Vegnagun in action. I'm not completely sure that I know what we're really going up against.

"Well then...good to have you with us," I say, before turning to Yuna. "Your call. Pick a destination, and we'll follow."

Yuna lowers her head, deep in thought about where we should go. Silently, I look around at the people I'm with, wondering if they feel the same way I do at this moment.

"Well...if we're going to stop Shuyin, we need to go to the Farplane. Nooj said to take care of things topside...and we have. Now it's time to help him out," Yuna says, and all of us nod.

"Well said, Lady Yuna," Drante comments.

"Alright, so it's decided. Just one problem. We know now that the holes in the temples lead to the Farplane. So which one do we take?" I ask Yuna, who scrunches her face in thought for a moment before looking up.

"Besaid Island," she responds, and I nod.

"Fitting. It started there two years ago, only fair that we end everything by going back there first," I reply, smiling.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go, Gullwings!" Yuna says, raising a fist into the air.

"Let's do it!" Rikku says, doing the same, before Yuna begins to lead all six of us back to the Celsius.

* * *

"You guys alright? You were gone a long time."

"Yeah, we're fine," Yuna says to Buddy, stepping into the bridge with all five of us in tow.

"Before we forget..." Shinra begins, turning to Buddy, "we made something for you."

"A special bonus for the Gullwings!" he says, walking over and handing each of us a dressphere.

"Go ahead, try it out," Shinra prompts, and I shrug, inserting the new dressphere in place of my Black Mage dressphere. Yuna and the others do the same, and the four of us nod to each other before spherechanging. When the light clears, the four of us stare at each other in shock. At least, I know I'm staring. I can't quite say for the other three.

"You've gotta be kidding me," I mutter, looking over myself. In place of my Warrior dressphere, I'm now garbed in what appears to be a Cactuar suit of some sort. Looking over at the others, I can see Yuna dressed as a Moogle, Rikku as Cait Sith, and Paine as a Tonberry. Apparently, they finally finished work on the Mascot dressphere.

"They look great on you!" Brother says. Behind me, I can hear Lenna snickering, and I believe even Drante is holding back a laugh.

"I...um, want one too," Shinra says after a moment. I would almost bet that he's snickering behind that helmet of his as well.

"Gosh, thanks," Yuna says, looking from Brother to Buddy, and then to Shinra.

"What the hell is this?" Paine asks, clearly annoyed.

"Hey, why not, right?" Rikku replies, shrugging.

"I'm with Paine on this one...but, I suppose if it works..." I add, shrugging as best I can. Quickly, I shift back into my Warrior dressphere, the others doing the same as I remove the Mascot dressphere, placing a new one into my Garment Grid. "Yuna, you want to explain the plan?"

"Plan?" Buddy asks, causing Yuna to nod.

"We're going to the Farplane. We're going to stop Vegnagun, for good," Yuna replies, face set with determination.

"How do you plan on getting there?" Shinra asks.

"Simple. We use the holes in the temples," Yuna explains, looking around. No one says anything for a moment, before Brother decides to break the silence.

"Made up your mind?" he asks, to which Yuna nods. "Where will you jump in?"

"Besaid Temple," she replies confidently.

"You're really going in?" he says, in slight disbelief.

"Yup."

"The time for invasion has come!" Brother shouts, moving to the front of the bridge and clenching a fist. "Sphere hunter team Gullwi...hm. Your friendly neigh...eh." After a moment of confusion, he looks over all of us. "What are we called now?"

"Does it really matter?" Shinra replies bluntly.

"Good point..." Brother says slowly, before making several elaborate gestures and motions. "Surging flapping neighboring Gullwings, attack!"

"Whoa, such passion!" Buddy exclaims.

"Seriously!" Rikku agrees.

"I'm so moved," Paine states flatly, walking over to a side of the room.

"At any rate, let's go!" Yuna says, cutting in.

"The Gullwings' last mission. Let's do it," Shinra says.

"Hey, hey, hey, none of this 'last mission' business, you hear?" Buddy says, walking over to the smaller Al Bhed.

"For me...it probably will be," Shinra replies, walking up to Yuna. Silently, he looks up at her for a moment, before wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

"Be careful," he says, and Yuna nods.

"I'll be fine," she tells him, smiling and turning to us.

"Save the huggy-huggies for your triumphant return! Yes!" Brother exclaims, and I nod.

"Never thought I'd say this, but I agree with Brother. Let's hit it!"

"It's time, Gullwings," Yuna prompts, and the four of us nod, clenching a fist in unison.

"Let's rock!"

* * *

"So, you're really going in there, huh?" Wakka asks Yuna, looking over at the girl. Wakka and Lulu saw us approaching, and came out to talk to us. I don't believe they expected to hear what we're telling them, though.

"Yeah, we're going," she replies. "If we don't..."

"Let's not think about that," I say, cutting in. "We'll be fine. Just watch over things here, would you?"

"Alright, brudda. You got it," Wakka replies, nodding.

"Be careful," Lulu says simply, her eyes moving from Yuna to myself and back again.

"We'll be fine, Lulu. Really!" Yuna says, grinning slightly.

"Let's get to it, then. We've got a job to do!" I say, prompting nods from everyone else. Yuna takes the lead, the five of us racing up the temple steps after the girl and into the temple itself. Inside the temple is deserted, a far cry from the populated place that it was not long ago. The doors to the Cloister of Trials are firmly shut, but it takes us mere moments to open them and advance into the trials.

The fiends that infested the trials a short while ago are no more, apparently diffusing once the aeon of the temple was beaten. Drante and Lenna look at the halls with wandering eyes as we run through, paying silent respects to the summoners who once passed through.

"Almost there!" Yuna says, pointing to the elevator platform that will take us to the Chamber of the Fayth.

"Good...the sooner, the better," I reply, stepping onto the platform with everyone else. A dull grind sounds for a moment as the platform begins to ascend, taking us up into the room where summoners once prayed to the fayth.

"Magnificent," Drante comments, looking around at the well-decorated room.

"Wish we had time to give you guys the grand tour," I say, grinning slightly.

"Perhaps you could do so after we've destroyed this monstrosity," Drante replies.

"No turning back now..." I mutter, turning back to the area in front of me. A few feet away lies the large hole that we saw before, an entrance to the realm of the dead itself.

"So, who wants to go first?" Paine asks, staring down into the pit.

"...I'll go first," Yuna says, after a moment of hesitation. With a deep breath, Yuna walks over to the edge of the pit before jumping in, vanishing entirely in a matter of moments. Rikku smiles at me before following Yuna down, and Paine follows suit a moment later. Lenna examines the pit for a second before diving down quickly, and Drante follows just after her.

"Endgame, Shuyin," I mutter, before leaping down into the dark hole.

* * *

Confusion.

That's all I can feel as I descend into the Farplane. Confusion as my body is turned in every direction imaginable, as swirls of color dash around me...and then, just as suddenly as it has come, it vanishes, leaving me standing next to Yuna and the others on a small, glowing path.

"Looks like we all made it," I say, more to myself than the others.

"Let's get moving," Paine says, turning to all of us.

"Paine's right," Yuna agrees, "we don't know how long we have to stop him."

"Then what are we waiting for? A written invitation and cookies? Come on!" Lenna exclaims, beginning to run down the shimmering path. Shaking my head, I follow along with everyone else, chasing after the smaller girl.

_(Play FFX-2 theme Abyss of the Farplane)_

The 'road' in the Farplane is long and winding, almost twisting back on itself at times. The few fiends that get in our way are no match for the six of us, and so movement is steady for the most part. I can see large platforms at certain places, but even though the paths may take us right next to them, we cannot get to them. Something here prevents us from stepping off the paths.

'_This place gets on my nerves...'_

"_So, you've finally come."_

'_Yeah. You've got one last chance to stop. You don't have to do this, Shuyin. It's not worth it.'_

"_Isn't it? They caused my despair...our despair."_

'_But destroying the whole of Spira isn't the way! What would Lenne say if she saw you now?'_

Shuyin doesn't answer, letting me know that I hit a nerve with that question.

"Uh...guys?" Rikku says nervously, pointing in front of all of us. We're finally approaching one of the platforms, and pyreflies are swirling around the center of it, almost as if they're waiting for something.

"This can't be good..." I say, drawing my sword while keeping my eyes on the pyreflies. Everyone tenses as the pyreflies begin to move faster, melding into a solid form at last. As the remnants of the pyreflies clear, the aeon of ice, Shiva, can be seen standing in front of us.

"Another one? Aw, man..." Rikku whines, grabbing her daggers.

"Hoped it was over, but no...when could things ever go my way..." I mutter, shaking my head and preparing for a fight.

_(End FFX-2 theme Abyss of the Farplane; play Star Ocean 3 theme Cutting Edge of Notion)_

Shiva makes the first move, a Blizzaga spell rocketing towards Drante, who swiftly grabs an orb from his pocket and dodges the spell, the orb morphing into a long sword as he moves.

"Fira!"

Lenna, apparently, has wasted no time in shifting to Black Mage and firing a spell at the aeon of ice. Shiva nimbly flips out of the way of the attack, landing in front of Rikku. Rikku gives a short cry, slashing across Shiva twice before jumping away. She's not fast enough to evade the subsequent Blizzara spell from the aeon, however, and tumbles to the ground.

"Flametongue!" I yell, dashing in and slashing upward with my sword. Shiva spins away from my attack...

"Mimic: Flametongue!"

...But not from Drante's, who comes in immediately after me, his sword enchanted with fire much like my own. His long sword cuts a gash across Shiva, the fire dealing even more damage to the frigid aeon.

"Burst Shot!" Yuna cries, firing a glowing round from her pistols that slams into Shiva, pushing her back from the force.

"Magic Break!" Paine yells, running in and cutting across Shiva's chest while she's still off balance from Yuna's attack. The aeon staggers back again, before beginning to gather energy into her hands. My eyes widen as I realize what she's about to do.

"Oh, no you don't!" I yell, spherechanging quickly. The light around me clears to reveal my new dressphere, which now covers me in black armor. Metal boots cover my legs nearly up to my knees, and a chest plate protects my body from the shoulders to the waist. Smaller pieces of armor cover my forearms, and a helmet of a sort with two small crests adorns my head. The sword of my Warrior dressphere has changed into a slightly curved blade, a deep black in color with a red handle. Quickly, I charge at Shiva, now dressed in my Dark Knight dressphere.

"Demi!" I yell, bringing a hand in front of me to cast the spell. Waves of dark energy crush Shiva, sapping away her energy, but it isn't enough to stop her attack. A torrent of icy energy erupts from her palms, freezing me in place along with everyone else and quickly encasing us in blocks of ice. Unable to move, we can only watch as Shiva snaps her fingers calmly, causing the ice to explode violently, cutting us up with a rain of icy shards.

Staggering a bit, I drop to a knee from the attack, noticing cuts and scratches all over the unprotected areas of my body. Ignoring them for now, I stand back up and prepare to engage Shiva again.

"Firaga!"

A spell from Yuna, now also in Black Mage, blasts into Shiva, throwing the icy aeon to the ground hard before I can attack.

"Fira!"

A second spell hits the aeon courtesy of Lenna, just for good measure. Paine charges in as the aeon stands up, sword held high above her head.

"Flametongue!"

Paine strikes down quickly with the sword, now wreathed in flames. The sword finds its mark, slashing into Shiva deeply as a burst of fire overtakes the aeon. As Paine steps back, the aeon falls to a knee, fading away into pyreflies slowly.

_(End Star Ocean theme Cutting Edge of Notion; play FFX-2 theme Abyss of the Farplane)_

"Everyone okay?" Yuna asks, looking around as we all spherechange back to our regular dresspheres. Everyone nods, signaling that they're fine, and Yuna motions for us to follow. Paine falls into step behind her, in front of the rest of us as we begin to follow. Apparently, she's just as eager to get this over with as the rest of us.

"Two aeons left," I whisper to myself, "and then we can finish this..."

* * *

Well, the ending has officially begun! Only a few more chapters to go before we wrap up the X-2 storyline...but what other plans do I have in store? (grin) As always, please review!


	29. Chapter 29: A Path Of Sorrow

Well...we're moving ever closer to the ending. A good bit of action in this chapter, though it will still pale in comparison to the fight with Vegnagun and Shuyin. So, without further ado...let's get to it!

* * *

Chapter 29—A Path Of Sorrow

"How long _is _this road, anyway?" Lenna complains, as our group continues to walk further into the Farplane.

"Beats me," I reply, shrugging. "Last time I was in the Farplane, I went through Guadosalam with Yuna and the others. As for down here...your guess is as good as mine."

"Lot of help you are..." she says, and I roll my eyes at the younger girl.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but you might want to look at this," Drante cuts in, diverting our attention before an argument erupts. A large group of pyreflies are swirling around the center of a platform directly in front of us, which can only mean one thing.

"Another aeon?" Rikku asks, and Paine nods.

"Probably."

"Let's take care of it, then," I say, drawing my sword and holding it tightly. The six of us begin to step towards the platform, the pyreflies swirling more rapidly as we approach. As we set foot on the platform, the pyreflies seem to react, splitting into three smaller groups that begin to take shapes.

The first is a large creature, resembling a ladybug. Two antennae extend from the top of its head, and a large, dotted shell covers its back. The second is a taller form, looking like a mantis-type creature. Two blades are retracted below its forearms, one to each, and it looks at us menacingly. The third is a tiny creature, hovering in the air. It appears to be some sort of hornet or wasp, from the stinger and small wings. The trio of Cindy, Sandy, and Mindy, better known as the Magus Sisters.

_(Play Star Ocean 3 theme Beyond The One)_

'_One of the most powerful aeons that exists...in the same league as Anima. Just what we don't need.' _

"So...anyone have a plan?" Lenna asks, looking at the trio somewhat warily.

"Simple. We beat them down and move on," Paine replies.

"My kind of plan," I say, taking a stance and facing Sandy, the mantis.

Drante makes the first move, a quick lunge from a light saber aimed at Cindy, the ladybug. Cindy takes the hit, not even seeming to flinch, before spinning and slamming the shell on her back into Drante, sending him stumbling back. My split second of distraction costs me, as I face Sandy again to see the blades below her forearms extended and blazing with fire. Leaping towards me, she slashes outward, the flaming blades rocketing towards me in her Razzia attack. Spinning, I slice through one of the blades, the other cutting a gash in my shirt and left side.

"Take this!" Yuna yells, firing rapidly at Mindy, the hornet. The agile aeon dodges several of the shots, but some still hit, inflicting some damage on the airborne creature. Landing for a moment and turning, Mindy's stinger begins to glow, before glowing projectiles begin to fire rapidly at Yuna. Yuna staggers with the rapid-fire shots, falling to the ground in pain as the attack finishes.

Paine stabs her sword into the ground, spherechanging as she does so. When the light around her clears, I look over, a bit shocked at her new appearance. A blue outfit, with shoes and gloves resembling animal claws now adorns her body, as well as some kind of headband with horns. Giving a battle cry, Paine charges in with her Berserker dressphere, slamming a powerful punch into Cindy. Cindy staggers from the attack, as Drante rushes in to attack again.

Rikku darts in alongside me, slashing Sandy across the waist. Lines of red energy run from Sandy's body to Rikku's as she slashes, Rikku's attack draining energy from Sandy to replenish her own.

"Not a bad idea..." I mutter, quickly spherechanging to Dark Knight and stepping back. "Drain!" The spell hits Sandy, sapping away some of her life force and increasing my own. Looking over at Lenna, I see that she has spherechanged to Gunner, knowing her status afflicting skills will do nothing against aeons.

With careful aim, Lenna begins firing rapidly at Mindy, the Trigger Happy attack connecting and slowing the aeon's flight some. Still, Mindy flies down to Lenna and stabs her with the stinger, sending the younger girl staggering back and holding her chest in pain. Yuna sees this and aims carefully, a powerful shot sending Mindy to the ground, weakened.

Another battle cry from Paine turns my attention, as red energy gathers around Paine. I recognize this as the Berserk skill, and Paine proves me right by blasting Cindy in the face with a powerful uppercut, nearly taking the aeon off its feet with the increased power of the attack. Cindy stands tall, though, and leaps into the air, slamming back into the ground in a sitting position. A geyser of water erupts from the ground, propelling her back into the air for her Camisade attack. As she hits the ground again, a fountain of energy throws Paine and Drante away.

Sandy leaps into the air then, both hands aimed for me in a slashing movement. Her hands meet the flat of my sword, her attack knocking my sword down and breaking my guard. Stepping back quickly, I begin to channel some of my own energy into my sword, wincing as the sword begins to glow with dark energy. Slashing outward, a wave of dark energy hits all three of the aeons, pushing them back as the Darkness attack hits. That gives Yuna an opening to blast Mindy again, the smaller aeon falling over and beginning to dissipate into pyreflies. Rikku leaps past me and cuts into Sandy as well, sending her kneeling to the ground in pain.

As Paine continues to attack Cindy, Drante begins to focus, seemingly speeding up after a moment as he darts around Cindy. Slashing quickly, Drante lands a barrage of strikes from all angles around Cindy, before Paine smashes a fist into the aeon's face, finally knocking her down and out. Even as Cindy begins to fade back into pyreflies, Yuna and Lenna turn on Sandy, blasting the aeon with a volley of shots and making her fall, dissipating back into pyreflies as well.

_(End Star Ocean 3 theme Beyond The One)_

Reaching to my left side, my hand comes away bloody, a result of the Razzia attack from Sandy. Silently, I watch as Rikku spherechanges to White Mage and begins casting healing magic on everyone. That was the toughest fight yet. The Magus Sisters were both resilient and powerful.

'_And the only aeon left...'_

A shiver runs down my spine at the mere thought of the last aeon. I spherechange back to Warrior as a spell washes over me, healing the gash in my side, before walking over to Yuna.

"We have to hurry. He's getting close..."

Yuna simply nods, turning back to everyone as Rikku spherechanges back to Thief.

"Let's go!" she says, beginning to run quickly along the path. All of us follow, and I spare a glance backwards at the platform, seeing the pyreflies beginning to vanish. Shaking my head, I continue to follow the path, steeling myself for the fight ahead.

* * *

"Scared?" I ask, looking over at Lenna and Drante.

"...A little," Lenna admits, the same neutral expression staying on her face.

"There is a lot at stake here, I'll admit. I suppose I'm more afraid of what will become of Spira should we fail, rather than the enemies we face," Drante comments, and I find myself nodding.

"You're right. There's a lot riding on us. I'm not going to say I'm not scared, because I'd be lying. But I push it aside. Because, like you said, what happens to Spira if we fail?"

"Well, it's not good. I thought you two knew that," Lenna says, smirking.

"Once again, I find myself outmatched by your superior wit," I say sarcastically, prompting a chuckle from Drante.

"Guys? We've got trouble," Yuna says, prompting all three of us to face the direction that Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are facing. Another platform lies in front of us, with a different path beyond. On the platform is a large mass of pyreflies, bigger than any we've come across yet.

"Everyone ready?" I prompt, a round of nods signaling everyone's awareness and readiness. "Good. Let's go!"

The pyreflies on the platform seem to react to my cry, swirling and melding with each other, as well as growing to a large size. As the glow from the pyreflies fades, the figure on the platform is one that is very familiar to me. A large creature, partially mummified, with its hands and body bound in chains. A terrifying screech erupts from the creature's maw, as its one eye flashes red. Anima, the dark aeon, is reborn.

_(Play FFIX theme Dark Messenger)_

"Can't afford to play around with this thing...need to hit it hard and fast," I mutter, shifting into Dark Knight. Everyone else goes on the offensive against Anima, a barrage of attacks being launched.

"Blizzara!"

"Flametongue!"

A duo of attacks from Lenna and Paine strike Anima, the aeon seeming to not even feel the attacks, before Yuna follows it up with a hail of bullets from her Trigger Happy attack. Rikku dashes in, slashing and draining some of Anima's life force, and Drante follows it up with a powerful attack from a broadsword.Rikku begins to shift to White Mage, Yuna also spherechanging in order to advance to their special dresspheres. Quickly, I begin to shift to Blade Knight as Anima turns its attention to Paine.

Raising its head slightly, the dark aeon begins to gather energy in its one eye, the eye glowing blood red as energy swirls around it. With a flash of light, the Pain attack is released, blasting into Paine with the force of a rocket and sending her to the dirt.

"Paine!" Yuna exclaims, running over to her friend, now dressed in her Black Mage robes. Rikku also runs over, ready to heal her fallen comrade.

"Watera!"

A second spell from Lenna hits Anima in the face, and Drante stands tall, focusing energy into his sword. With a swipe and a flash of light, Drante _mimics the Pain attack_, the copied attack slamming into Anima with equal force. Anima bellows as the attack eats away at its body, and I grab both my swords as I finish spherechanging, ready to help out.

"Rough Divide!"

Running up to the aeon quickly, I slash upwards, an energy wave trailing my swords as I leap nearly to the top of the aeon. The wave hits Anima, doing less damage than Drante's attack, but still a decent amount. Anima looks at me then, a beam sailing from its eye and sending me crashing to the ground, dazed from both the force of the blow and the height of my fall.

"Ben!"

Rikku's yell is followed by a Blizzaga spell from Yuna, who then begins spherechanging into her Floral Fallal dressphere. Rikku does the same, her shift into the Machina Maw dressphere beginning a moment later. Paine stands up, still stunned some from the blow, but spherechanges into Berserker, charging back up to Anima. A powerful jump gets her into the air, before she slams a fist into the aeon, a grunt of pain coming from the dark creature.

Slowly, I get back to my feet just in time to see Anima charge and release another Pain attack at Lenna, sending the girl into the air to land hard a few feet away, close to the edge of the platform.

"Lenna!" My shock quickly turns to rage, my eyes hardening as I glare up at the much larger creature. "I don't care how big you are...I'm going through you!" My pain momentarily forgotten, I leap into the air, aiming carefully for Anima's scarred face.

"Crescent Strike!"

My sword flashes outward, a wave of red energy erupting from it and cutting through the air towards Anima. The energy wave cuts into Anima's face, nearly blinding it completely in its one good eye. A screech of pain lets me know the extent of my attack, and I step back for another strike as Yuna suddenly floats beside me, now dressed in her Floral Fallal dressphere.

"Flare Whirl!"

I watch in silent amazement as a chain of non-elemental explosions go off in Anima's face, the once mighty aeon roaring in agony as the energy eats away at it. Slowly, Anima seems to slump slightly, pyreflies beginning to float away from its now-defeated form.

_(End FFIX theme Dark Messenger)_

Quickly, I run over to Lenna, not bothering to spherechange back just yet. The girl is slowly getting up, for which I'm silently thankful, but she still looks quite shaken from the attack.

"Are you alright?" I ask, helping her up. With a wince, the girl shakes herself out of my grip, nodding.

"I'll be fine...I'm tougher than I look, you know," she retorts, and I sigh.

"Good," I say, turning back to Yuna and spherechanging back to Warrior. As everyone begins to spherechange back to their regular dresspheres, the fayth suddenly fades into view in front of us.

"You..." Yuna begins, the fayth nodding slowly.

"Yuna. I'm sorry. We weren't strong enough to stop him. We wanted to at least warn someone...but instead, we were dragged into the darkness," the fayth explains, hanging his head slightly. "We're no better than fiends."

"It's all right," Yuna replies, causing the fayth to shake his head.

"Forgive us."

"It's not your fault," I say, stepping up beside Yuna. "You did all you could." Slowly, Yuna steps closer to Bahamut, the question spoken barely loud enough for us to hear.

"Please, tell me...what is he?"

"Shuyin? Just a shadow. It may look like him, but the real Shuyin died long ago. Even after a thousand years, his hate and misery linger on. His feelings grew so strong, they began to act on their own...eventually, they became a shadow—a shade that wants only to vanish, but cannot."

'_Just a shadow, huh...he's not real. He's just an image...a representation of Shuyin's hate...of his feelings because of their deaths.'_

"Just a shadow...I can handle a shadow," Yuna replies, nodding.

"Are you sure?" the fayth asks, causing Yuna to nod once again.

"Yes. Leave it to me," she tells Bahamut, who nods slowly, fading away without a word. "I'll banish shadow with light."

"Light?" Rikku asks, Paine interrupting before Yuna can say anything.

"Lenne's feelings."

"That's right. Call it...love."

"He hasn't won yet...we're not out of this just yet," I mutter, beginning to run down the path into the Farplane once again.

"Hey, wait up!" Rikku yells, everyone else following me quickly. Almost ignoring them, I continue to run, my body moving almost of its own accord.

'_I told you I'm coming for you...can you see me? Can you see me running? I'm not far now...'_

"I'm not far now..." I whisper, seeing a figure far off in the distance. As we begin to approach, I can see that the figure in question is actually three figures. The figures of Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi slowly come into focus as we get closer, and Rikku yells out to the trio as we near them.

"Hey!"

With a snort, Leblanc spins to us, her fan held lazily in her right hand.

"You certainly took your sweet time."

"Stifle it, Leblanc," I retort, brushing the comment off.

"Why are you here?" Yuna asks. Leblanc opens her mouth to respond, but Logos beats her to it.

"Because the boss never goes against Lord Nooj's wishes."

"You found him?" Paine asks, almost hopefully.

"As we was headin' in, we found a sphere addressed to the boss," Ormi says, causing Logos to nod.

"He said, 'Don't follow me. Turn back now and wait for my return,'" Leblanc explains.

"Actually doing what you're told?" Paine asks, crossing her arms. "How novel." I resist the urge to snicker as Leblanc continues.

"What can I say? One look at Noojie-Woojie's dashing visage on that sphere and I was charmed! How can I say no to such a kyootzie-wootzie face?" Leblanc says, looking around at us. "What if he..."

"Don't worry," Rikku cuts in. "If he knows you're waiting, he has a reason to come home."

"And wait I shall," Leblanc says, looking skyward.

"We'll tell him that you're waiting like a good girl," Rikku continues, causing Leblanc to snap back to reality.

"You do that, love. And don't forget to stress 'good girl.'"

'_Well, we've got a shadow to stop, three leaders to find, and a giant, hideously powerful machina to destroy. It just doesn't get any better than this...' _I think to myself, before nodding to Yuna and beginning to dash down the path once again.

* * *

Ben's inching closer to Shuyin by the minute...I smell a showdown. But, they have to get through Vegnagun first...what other surprises does the Farplane have in store? Just have to keep reading to find out! As always, please read and review!


	30. Chapter 30: Silent Reflection

Well...it all boils down to this. The group has almost reached Vegnagun, and their confrontation with Shuyin. This chapter...is more of a breather. You could say, a moment to relax before everything turns into glorious chaos. So, without further ado...let's get this train rolling, shall we?

* * *

Chapter 30—Silent Reflection

The new part of the Farplane is quite different from the part we just went through. The paths are solid, feeling more like stone than the ethereal walkways we were on minutes ago. As I stare down the path, I can see gateways crackling with black energy as well. The path loops and curves around itself, but the main path requires us to go through those gateways.

"Looks like one doozy of a puzzle," I mutter, sighing. More tricks to slow us down, or perhaps frustrate anyone who might attempt to get to Vegnagun. I can't say for sure, really.

"Hey, look at this," Yuna says, examining something on the left side of the path. A small branching path sits there, with a circular symbol on the ground. Curious, we all walk over to it, looking at the symbol intently.

"What do you suppose it does?" Paine asks, causing me to turn to her.

"Let's find out," I say, stepping into the center of the symbol. Nothing happens for a moment, before musical notes chime through the air, three of them in all.

"What was that?" Rikku asks.

"Notes. Musical notes," I reply, stating the obvious with a small smile.

"I know that, but what are they for?" she says, rolling her eyes.

"Probably that," I respond, motioning towards a small keyboard sitting on a pedestal next to the first barrier. With a sigh, Lenna begins to walk over to the keyboard, glancing back at the rest of us.

"Let me handle this," she says, looking over the keyboard. After a moment of concentration, she plays the same three notes we just heard. The barrier in front of her shimmers brightly, before the dark energy fades out of existence, leaving an ordinary ring of metal behind that frames the path.

"Nice job," I tell her, causing her to shrug.

"I study music for a hobby. Nothing big, really," she replies.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get a move on!" Rikku exclaims, beginning to run up the path and through the ring of metal. The rest of us follow, continuing to run the twisting path. Though my body may be keeping pace with the rest easily, my mind is on other things.

'_If Shuyin's simply a shadow...then it's not really him...just his feelings in a physical form. I never really gave it much thought before, but now it's making me wonder...do I really have this all figured out? I'm starting to get tired of feeling like I'm missing the last piece of the puzzle.'_

"Another barrier," Paine comments, causing me to snap back into reality, nearly running into Yuna as she stops.

"Makes two," I mutter, staring off further down the path at another barrier. "And only one more after this."

Quickly, Yuna spots the second of the magical circles and steps into it, sending four musical notes chiming through the air this time. Lenna listens intently to the notes, then moves to the keyboard, repeating the tones. The air shimmers around the barrier, causing it to glow brightly for a moment before fading away like the one before it.

"That's two down, one to go!" Yuna says, nodding and running back to the rest of us.

"We're almost there," I say, as Yuna and I begin to lead the others to the third barrier. The walk this time is rather long, making me feel as though our time is ticking away dangerously fast. Finally, we reach the third barrier, but the path is perfectly straight, no splits along the path anywhere to house a symbol.

"Where could it be?" Rikku asks, and I begin to think, wracking my brain for the location of the final symbol.

"Well, it's not left or right, or behind us, so it can only be up," I mutter, glancing up to the sky, "or...down." Finishing my sentence, I walk to the edge of the path and look down, smiling a moment later as I see a smaller path below. Carefully, I leap down, seeing not one, but two symbols on the path. Stepping into the first one, several notes ring into the air, and I proceed to the second one, stepping into it as well. A few more notes sound, and I begin to make my way back to the upper level as the group moves towards the keyboard. Five notes sound out as I climb back up, and the barrier shines brightly before fading away in the same manner as the rest.

"I believe someone is there," Drante says as I approach, pointing farther down the path to a large platform. Squinting, I can see something sitting on the platform, but I can't make it out at this distance.

"Well, don't just stand there. Let's see what it is!" Lenna exclaims, dashing down the path. The five of us follow, and Rikku gasps in surprise as we get closer, recognizing the figure instantly.

"Gippal!"

It's the leader of the Machine Faction himself, kneeling down and clutching his stomach. A large weapon of some sort is lying on the platform beside him, and he looks at Rikku as she kneels down to check on him.

"I got...careless," he says softly, looking around at us.

"Are you all right?" Paine questions, and Gippal moans a little, before nodding.

"I could use...a nap," he says with a smile.

"Where's Nooj?" Yuna asks, looking down at Gippal.

"He went ahead."

"He must be trying to buy us some time," I murmur, my ears catching the sound of something behind us. Turning, I can spot the figures of Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi making their way towards us.

"Guess she couldn't stay away," Rikku comments, and I shrug.

"Well, Nooj _is _here. I figure she'd tear the thing apart herself to keep him safe if it came down to it," I say, chuckling.

"I never said where I would wait!" Leblanc protests loudly, frowning.

"Well, then please, take care of Gippal," Yuna says, causing Leblanc to direct a glare her way.

"You dare give me an order?"

"Look, we'll tell Nooj how you're waiting like a good girl and doing your part for the team," Paine cuts in, obviously tired of dealing with Leblanc's attitude.

"All right, I'm in," Leblanc says, after a moment of thought. Gippal manages to rise to his feet then, stepping over to Paine.

"Hey, Dr. P. A gift from Nooj," he says, handing her a sphere. Paine looks a little surprised at this, staring at the sphere silently. "It's from two years ago. Said it was inside the sphere camera."

"I'll watch it later," Paine finally says, starting to put the sphere away.

"Hey," Yuna interjects, causing Paine to stop, "You should watch it now. Think about it. You know you won't be able to fight your best as long as it's on your mind."

Paine remains silent, mulling over Yuna's words for a moment, eyes darting between Yuna and the sphere, before she gives in.

"You're right."

Clicking the sphere on with a simple motion, Paine holds it up as the sphere begins to play back events from two years past. The scene shows Nooj, Baralai, Gippal, and Paine on a boat, in the middle of an ocean somewhere.

"Whaddaya got in mind for fun? Any ideas, Dr. P?" Gippal asks, staring over at Paine, who is leaning against the railing of the ship.

"Me?" she asks, attention now seemingly diverted. "A ship that glides through the air. That thing you mentioned before. If it's for real, I wanna fly it."

"You get to be pilot, then," says Baralai, stepping closer to the two of them. "And maybe I'll try my hand at navigation."

"Then I'll be engineer!" Gippal says, smiling.

"Nooj?" Baralai prompts, turning to the older man.

"Captain," Paine says, not giving him a chance to answer.

"Ah, that's perfect," Baralai says, nodding.

"You'd let an amateur be captain?" Nooj says, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Chill out, Noojster. All you gotta do is shut up and look important and you'll fit the part," Gippal says, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"Like a glove," Paine agrees.

"I'll work you like dogs," Nooj replies, a broad grin on his face, which sends all four of them into a round of laughter as the sphere turns off.

"What happened to that Paine, I wonder," Paine muses quietly.

"She's inside you, sleeping," Yuna responds, placing a hand on the shoulder of her friend.

"Well, wakey, wakey! Time to set sail!" Rikku chimes in.

"Your captain and your navigator are waiting!" Yuna adds, smiling.

"Incredible," I breathe, staring off into the distance at the enormous platform that holds Vegnagun. The platform seems the size of Luca Stadium from the distance I'm at, and I begin to wonder just how large Vegnagun really is.

"It is a marvel of technology, is it not?" Drante says, stepping up beside me.

"There aren't really words for it, Drante. Too bad we've gotta be the ones to take it apart, piece by painful piece," I say, slowly smiling. Drante chuckles a bit at my statement, turning to Yuna.

"Are you ready to go, Lady Yuna?" he asks, to which Yuna nods.

"I'm ready," she replies, and we all nod, beginning to walk to the next area.

* * *

Blinking, I stare out at the next area, or really, lack thereof. The entire place is just empty space, with at least a dozen floating platforms hanging in the nothingness. They make a seemingly straight path to the platform above, which is connected to the final stretch leading to Vegnagun.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Lenna exclaims, before jumping on the closest platform. The platform shakes for a moment, before taking off to the right, rising quickly and forcing Lenna to hang on to the platform to keep from being thrown off.

"Are you okay?" I shout up to her, and she gives a faint nod, hopping to the next platform. This one doesn't move, and the platform floats back down to us, leaving Lenna stranded up on the other platform.

"Guess it's not so simple," I hear Paine mutter, and I shrug, stepping onto the platform next. The platform rises up to the right, taking me up to the same platform that Lenna is perched upon. As I step off, the platform descends back to its previous position, allowing the others to follow, one at a time. While the others are catching up to us, I step on the next platform, which takes me up to a platform beside the main one. Hopping off of the platform quickly, I move from one to the next, ending up on the main path once again. Lenna follows a moment later, and the two of us wait for the others to catch up with us, before turning to a barrier that lies in front of us.

"And I thought we were done with them..." Lenna mutters, shaking her head.

"Expect the unexpected," I say, shrugging. "This one should be simple to solve." Stepping up to the center of the platform, I suddenly hear musical notes begin to ring through the air again. They continue, 12 in all, and I watch in silence as the barrier in front of us fades away to nothing.

"See? Simple!" I reply, chuckling. Lenna just rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah...let's just get this over with."

"For once, I agree," I remark, stepping past the ring of metal.

"I got a hunch that once we go on ahead, there's no turning back," Rikku says, looking ahead at the large platform that conceals Vegnagun.

"A hunch?" Paine asks, glancing over at her friend.

"Yeah."

"That's it?" Yuna asks, giving Rikku a strange glance.

"A hunch it is, then," Paine says, shrugging.

"Then, let's not keep this ghost waiting any longer," I say, beginning to run ahead down the path.

* * *

As I noted above, this chapter is merely a small interlude before the final fight kicks off, so hope it's not a disappointment to all the readers. So, get ready for the final fight, and as always, please read and review!


	31. Chapter 31: Full Circle

Finally...30 chapters, all leading up to this moment. The fight with Vegnagun and Shuyin now begins! Let's see how everyone handles a thousand year old machina!

As a side note, now that has a feature for forums on the site, I'm debating opening a forum for discussion of my stories, in order to perhaps get discussion and opinions, as well as ideas from my readers.If you believe that it is a good idea, please let me know.

Now, without further ado, let the final confrontation commence!

* * *

Chapter 31—Full Circle

Leaping over multiple circular platforms, the six of us approach ever closer to Vegnagun. The huge machina has begun to shake slightly, causing all of us to now be on full alert, ready for anything. As we leap to the last platform, larger than the rest, we find Nooj standing there, staring into the demonic face of the machina.

"Both Baralai and Vegnagun belong to him now," Nooj states, looking up at the massive machina.

"Shuyin," Yuna says, following his gaze.

"I have a plan," Nooj says, turning around to face us and shrugging. "Can't call it a smart one, though."

"What's that?" Paine asks, curious.

"He acts through another's body. Stop the body, and you stop him," Nooj explains, pausing a moment. "I'll shoot Baralai."

"No!" Rikku exclaims, and all of us stare at him, wide-eyed at the suggestion he's just made.

"His body will be useless, but if we're lucky, he won't die. Shuyin will abandon Baralai. And then he'll come back for me."

"What then?" Paine asks, causing Nooj to stare her straight in her eyes.

"I will die," he states simply. "My body has already been rigged. I'm taking Shuyin with me."

"Nooj..." Yuna says, unable to speak at the suggestion.

"But...you're our captain," Paine protests weakly, causing Nooj to simply nod.

"Exactly."

A long and tenuous silence fills the area for what seems like forever, before Yuna finally speaks.

"I don't like your plan," she says, pausing for a moment. "It sucks." At this, all of us turn to Yuna, surprised by what she's just said.

"Your plan is awful," she continues, looking at Nooj with eyes full of sorrow. "Think about it. It's no different than what we did two years ago. We destroyed our own allies. We destroyed the aeons who had fought together with us, at our sides. We didn't have a choice then. We believed that was the only way we could save Spira." I can feel a twinge of guilt welling up inside me at Yuna's words, but I remain silent as the brown-haired girl continues.

"Do you know what it felt like to watch them die? Right before my eyes? It was the only thing we could do. It was the only choice we had. I gave in, I accepted, I believed. I allowed it to be true. I thought I'd be able to go through with it without ever doubting myself. But I...it hurts so much."

_(Play FFX-2 theme Yuna's Ballad)_

"Everyone was so happy. 'Great job, Yuna. You did it. You saved us all.' There were too many smiles to count. And I know that I was smiling, too. But now...when I look back...the people who should be here aren't. The ones who should be smiling with me aren't here." Sighing softly, Yuna pauses for a moment, never taking her gaze from Nooj.

"'We had no choice.' Always 'We had no choice.' Those are our magic words. We repeat them to ourselves again and again. But you know...the magic never worked! The only thing we're left with is regret."

By now, all of us are looking at Yuna, watching quietly as she expresses her anger, her sorrow, and her pain all at once.

"No. I don't want this anymore," she says, shaking her head. "I don't want friends to die...or fade away. I don't want battles where we have to lose in order to win. Nooj, I know that what you say is what you mean to do. Give me your resolve. Believe in Yuna."

_(End FFX-2 theme Yuna's Ballad)_

"Hmm. So you have a plan?" Nooj counters, looking at Yuna with silent curiosity.

"Light?" Paine asks, causing Yuna to shake her head.

"That's plan B. But before that..." she trails off, turning to Rikku. "Hey, Rikku. No matter how monstrous it looks, Vegnagun is still just a machina. So we can take it apart, right?" she asks, causing me to grin.

"Uh, yeah...uh, maybe?" Rikku says, not sure how to answer.

"You never used to be the think-before-you-act type. What gives?" the familiar voice of Gippal says, all of us spinning to face the new arrivals.

"Leblanc!" Nooj exclaims, looking over at Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi.

_(Play FFX-2 theme Yuna's Theme)_

"And I never was the wait-like-a-good-girl type. Isn't that right, Noojie?" Leblanc says, causing me to chuckle.

"Glad to see you made it back, Auron," I say, looking down the familiar warrior monk with a smile.

"Of course," he says, nodding.

"Vegnagun can be destroyed," Gippal starts, smiling. "Abso-posi-you better believe it. Wanna know why?"

"Cause people built it!" Rikku exclaims happily.

"Right!" Yuna says, looking over all of us. "Everyone! It looks like we can stop that thing after all!"

The area around us suddenly starts to shake and react, the towering form of Vegnagun beginning to shake and move inside its protective 'cocoon' of sorts.

"Bwahahah! Now it's pissed!" Ormi says, looking up at the massive machina.

"Witless little widget, isn't it?" Logos adds, folding his arms.

"What about Shuyin?" Nooj asks, turning to Yuna.

"Plan B!" she says, causing Nooj to quirk an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Love," Yuna replies simply, smiling, which causes Gippal to scratch the back of his head, sighing.

"Nuu puo," he mutters in Al Bhed, and I stifle a chuckle.

"The ultimate illusion," Nooj adds, shaking his head.

"It'll work! I've come this far to bring Lenne's feelings to Shuyin. I'm not stopping now," Yuna protests, looking over at Gippal and Nooj.

"Looks like we've got problems," I say, pointing up at the form of Vegnagun, which is starting to shake even more.

_(End FFX-2 theme Yuna's Theme; play FFX-2 theme Vegnagun Starting)_

The platform we're on suddenly starts to move, causing all of us to jump across the platforms leading back towards the main path. As we land back on solid ground of a sort, we watch as the enclosure keeping Vegnagun contained starts to open, much like a massive flower of some kind. The monstrous machina seems to stretch, legs and tail twitching madly as it begins to start up from a thousand-year sleep. Platforms move into place all along Vegnagun's body, making a path leading all the way to its massive head.

"If we all attack at once, we can do this! We need to split up!" Yuna shouts, looking over all of us quickly.

"Leave the legs to us!" Leblanc shouts.

"We've got the torso!" Gippal says, Nooj nodding in agreement.

"Guess that leaves the tail!" Rikku says, waving a hand in the air.

"I'll help with that," Lenna says, nodding.

"I'm going for the torso, too," I say, grabbing my sword. "Auron, Drante, coming?" The warrior monk merely nods, as does Drante, and I turn to the group, stepping up to Rikku.

"Be careful," I say, kissing her softly, before backing away and smiling.

"You too," she says, and I nod, tightening the grip on my sword.

"Alright, we know what to do! Let's get to it!" I yell, as the twelve of us set out towards Vegnagun once again.

* * *

_(End FFX-2 theme Vegnagun Starting, play FFX-2 theme Clash)_

The pathway leading up Vegnagun's body is straightforward, no deviations at all except for a few platforms. Yuna, Rikku, Paine, and Lenna leap onto one, the tail of Vegnagun slashing dangerously over the platform as they begin to engage it.

"Ready for a good fight?" I say, looking at the others with a wide smile on my face.

"You're awfully excited," Gippal quips, looking over at me as we continue to run towards the torso.

"I like the danger. Call me crazy," I retort, chuckling. Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi leap onto another platform, as the remaining five of us continue to ascend.

"Very well then. You are crazy," Drante says with a smirk.

"Aiyaa..." I mutter, as everyone else chuckles, even Auron finding amusement in Drante's serious tone.

"We're getting close," Auron says, a hand moving to the hilt of Masamune as we continue to run. Directly above us, I can see Vegnagun's massive head and torso, and I leap up onto the first platform, taking the spiraling path of platforms all the way to the top and landing on a large platform. All five of us are now directly in front of Vegnagun, and without any hesitation, we pull out weapons or assemble them quickly, in Gippal's case, and begin to attack.

_(End FFX-2 theme Clash; play FFX-2 theme Struggle to the Death)_

"Armor Break!"

Auron takes the first attack, cleaving deeply into Vegnagun's torso with the Masamune. Quickly, I spherechange into Dark Knight, beginning to spherechange into Blade Knight a moment later. I want to finish this thing off as quickly as possible. Raising a hand to the machina, Nooj fires off a Thundaga spell, the electricity coursing through the circuits of the machine. In retaliation, Vegnagun fires off a barrage of blue energy beams at us, causing the platform around us to become covered in smoke and dirt from the explosions striking us. Grunting a little, Gippal raises his gun and fires, several arcing shots landing on Vegnagun's face and damaging it some.

Drante seems to be focusing, his orb morphed into the familiar shape of a long sword, and as I finish spherechanging into Blade Knight, I grab both my swords and charge, calling up an attack as I do so.

"Renzokuken!"

Leaping up to Vegnagun, I slash furiously, cutting deep marks into the chest plating and core with my swords. The core begins to glow a fiery red color, and Vegnagun again retaliates with a shower of blue energy beams, forcing all of us to scramble to avoid being hit. Snapping his sword up, Drante copies Vegnagun's attack, throwing a wave of energy beams right back at the towering machina. The attacks explode seemingly harmlessly on the machina's armor, and the machina stomps its right leg powerfully, a shockwave throwing us all to the ground momentarily. Auron is the first up, and he brings his sword back quickly, rushing Vegnagun and delivering a powerful baseball-bat like swing of his sword that bites into the armor deeply.

Another Thundaga spell flies in from Nooj, and Gippal begins to fire rapidly at Vegnagun like a machine gun, lasers slamming into the armor and causing dents and small marks to form. Drante shifts his orb from a long sword to a greatsword, holding it in two hands and swinging it once to test the weight. Suddenly, he seems to vanish, reappearing and slashing Vegnagun several times in different areas before appearing back at the same spot. Vegnagun isn't finished yet, though, and attempts to stomp Drante with the left leg, who rolls out of the way quickly.

"This thing just keeps on ticking," Gippal comments, firing at it again.

"They built one heck of a superweapon..." I mutter, beginning to charge energy into my swords. "Blasting Zone!"

Holding my swords to the sky, an energy beam suddenly blasts out of them, the column of energy extending far into the haze of the Farplane before I bring it down, the sound of bending metal rewarding my attack. Looking at Vegnagun, I realize that the attack dealt a lot of damage, but it also drained a good portion of my energy. Another set of energy beams descends upon us then, striking Gippal and I squarely and knocking us to the ground, dazed. Auron charges in then, stabbing into the core deeply with the double-edged blade of Masamune. Vegnagun shudders, energy backlashing into its system, before explosions begin to ring out all over the torso and head. The head then slams into the platform, right in front of us, causing us to step back to keep from being crushed.

_(End FFX-2 theme Struggle to the Death)_

"Are you guys okay?" Yuna asks, running up behind us. Apparently, they already finished their fight with Vegnagun's tail as well. Getting back to my feet, I nod, smiling despite the sudden tiredness that's starting to grip me already.

"You missed all the fun," I joke, chuckling.

"What now?" Paine asks, looking up at the apparently beaten machina.

"Uh...maybe we're finished?" Rikku asks tentatively. On top of Vegnagun's head, I can see the figure of Baralai stand up, turning to face us.

"Finished, indeed," he says, speaking along with Shuyin at the same time.

"Baralai!" Nooj exclaims, looking up at the possessed praetor.

"Let him go, Shuyin!" I yell, but Shuyin pays me no mind, instead turning back to the organ and beginning to play.

_(Play FFX-2 theme Destruction)_

"He's got a plan B, too!" Rikku exclaims, looking up at the now-moving form of Vegnagun. The massive machina has begun to move again after hearing the organ, and now it seems like it's done playing games. Quickly, Yuna turns to Gippal, Nooj, and Lenna.

"Please, go take care of Leblanc and the others!" she says, urgency in her voice.

"But..." Gippal begins, Yuna cutting him off before he can say anything.

"We'll be fine! Just go!" she insists, and Gippal hesitates, before nodding.

"Alright, just be careful!" he says, running back down the platform to tend to Leblanc. Nooj and Lenna follow, leaving the six of us standing on the platform. We're soon forced to duck as Vegnagun rises up to its full height, opening its mouth wide. A massive cannon soon extends from the machina's mouth, the barrel lit up by multiple red lights as energy begins to gather.

"He's panicking, Yuna. End it, now!" Auron says, Masamune dropping to his side.

"You're not coming, Auron?" I ask, to which the elder man shakes his head.

"This is your story now. You four must see it through to the end," he replies, and I pause for a moment, before nodding.

"He's right...Yuna, let's go! It's time to take this thing apart for good!"

"Right!" she exclaims, pistols drawn. Rikku and Paine ready their weapons as well, as the four of us climb up one side of Vegnagun's face, leaping and landing on the top of the cannon. A large platform is attached to the top, some kind of control center, likely. Directly in front of us is Vegnagun's face, and to either side of us are some sort of horns, wiggling slightly. Shuyin sits at the top of Vegnagun's head, still playing the organ.

"It's over, Shuyin! You're finished!" I yell, grabbing both my swords and holding them beside me.

"Is it really? I think it's only beginning," he retorts, smirking. Growling, I point a palm at the face of the machina, letting loose a Thundaga which sends electricity coursing up and down the machina. Yuna opens fire, bullets pinging off the armor of the machina, as Rikku spherechanges to White Mage, a Protect spell beginning to appear around each of us. The two horns on either side of us, known as Redoubts, begin to gather energy which laces between the two of them. Finally, a ball of energy grows, which they then slam into Paine with devastating force, staggering her as she prepares to attack.

"We need to take those out!" Yuna says, turning her attention to the Redoubts. Quickly, she spherechanges to Black Mage, hitting the left Redoubt with a Thundaga spell. A swift slice from my blades also cuts into the left Redoubt, and Paine finishes that one off quickly with a Thunder Blade attack.

The right Redoubt takes the chance to fire an energy beam at Rikku, which doesn't physically injure her, but instead saps away her magical strength. Yuna spins to the right, zapping that Redoubt with a powerful Thundaga as well, as Paine goes for the face of Vegnagun. Slashing into it with a powerful strike, she cuts a large gash in the face of the machina before the second Redoubt also hits her with a beam of energy.

Quickly, I dash over, hacking into the right Redoubt with newfound strength and making short work of the mechanical menace, before turning my attention back to Vegnagun. I can see Yuna spherechanging into her special dressphere, and I smile, knowing this fight won't take too long.

"Fated Circle!" I cry, leaping into the air and executing a spinning slash, sending a wave of energy at Vegnagun that digs into the face. Just as Yuna finishes spherechanging to her Floral Fallal dressphere, Shuyin raises both of his hands, which are coated in red energy. Slamming them into the keyboard, the entire area around us goes dark except for a single ball of light, bluish-white in color. The ball pulses for a moment before exploding, searing energy engulfing us all as the familiar surroundings of Vegnagun fade back into view. Gasping, I sink to the ground, the attack sapping much of my strength away. Rikku does the same, but Paine and Yuna seem more angry than hurt.

"Thunder Blade!"

Charging Vegnagun quickly, Paine drives her sword into the face with a powerful stab, the electrical energy running through the internals of Vegnagun as well as the external pieces. With a gesture, Yuna sends a multitude of powerful lightning strikes into Vegnagun, her Electric Whirl attack frying the circuitry within the giant machina. I can hear the cannon powering up further, and I realize that we don't have much time left before it fires.

"Paine, Yuna! Let's hit this thing with everything we've got! I think it's almost disabled!" I yell, getting back to my feet despite the pain and exhaustion. Giving another charge, I hold my swords out to my side, leaping into the air as I run.

"Crescent Strike!"

"Thunder Blade!"

"Electric Whirl!"

The red blade of energy from my swords cuts another deep gash into Vegnagun, and Paine's electrically charged attack begins to overload circuits in the machina, faint explosions coming from within the head and torso. Yuna's attack finally breaks the machina's endurance, sparks and explosions ringing out all over the head as it finally loses power and collapses, the cannon shutting down and the eyes going dim, before they fade out entirely.

_(End FFX-2 theme Destruction)_

"Finally," I mutter, taking deep breaths to calm myself. "Vegnagun's disposed of..." Silently, I watch as Baralai climbs down from the organ atop Vegnagun, coming to rest in front of us. Shuyin's outline appears over Baralai's body, and I tense, awaiting the confrontation that is to come.

* * *

So...one more fight to go. Shuyin. Needless to say, the group will have their hands full dealing with him. As always, please review! 


	32. Chapter 32: Echoes Of The Past

Well, this is it. The final battle. As it is, of course, the final battle, I'll not waste time with idle chit-chat. Onward and upward to victory!

* * *

Chapter 32—Echoes Of The Past 

No one says anything for what seems like an hour's time, Shuyin simply standing there and staring at the four of us. My hands stay by my side, ready to draw out my swords if anything goes wrong. Finally, Yuna decides to break the tense silence. Spherechanging into her Songstress outfit, she stands in front of the three of us, facing the unsent.

"Shuyin."

"Lenne?" Shuyin asks, seeming to not believe what his eyes are seeing.

"There's something I must tell you," Yuna begins. "Words left unspoken for a thousand years." Yuna takes a deep breath, and I can almost hear the pain in her voice as she says the next words. "I love you. And I'm grateful...grateful that you stayed with me until the end."

"But, I couldn't save you!" Shuyin protests, looking at Yuna.

"It doesn't matter," Yuna replies. "Please, don't go on grieving alone. Rest," she says, her voice taking on a strange tone as Lenne's voice speaks along with her own. Shuyin's face seems almost sad now, and he looks at Yuna for a moment longer before stepping forward, his ghostly form leaving Baralai's body with ease. The praetor crumples to the ground, gasping heavily, as Shuyin begins to approach Yuna and the rest of us.

"We can finally fade...together?" he asks slowly, staring longingly at Yuna. For a moment, everything looks fine, but then Shuyin's face hardens, taking on an angry glare as he steps back.

"No!"

"Wait!" Yuna exclaims, but nothing could calm Shuyin now.

"You are not Lenne!" he yells, grabbing his sword and taking a fighting stance.

"I'll handle him! Don't worry!" I yell, running in front of Shuyin, both swords in my hands in an instant.

_(Play Star Ocean 3 theme The True Nature of All)_

"It ends for you here, Shuyin!" I cry, immediately going into an attack with renewed strength. "Renzokuken!"

As my strikes begin to fly, Shuyin slaps them aside, wielding his sword with effortless ease. Quickly, I continue my assault, but Shuyin swats my sword aside and slashes me across the chest, blood beginning to flow from my chest as I stagger back.

"Vanish, with the rest of Spira!" he cries, running up to me and beginning to slash. Strike after strike connects, sending me farther backwards with every blow. After several strikes, he stabs his sword into the ground and leaps off of the hilt, a blitzball materializing in the air as Shuyin kicks downward. The blitzball connects with the ground at my feet, the ensuing explosion blowing me backwards with the force. Slowly, I try to pick myself up from the ground, holding my hand over a nasty cut on my chest, but find myself unable to.

"...That...was more than...a little unexpected," I gasp, trying to find a healing potion. Shuyin just chuckles, looking down at me as I try to get back to my feet.

"You seem...surprised. I would've thought you would have figured it out by now," he says, face going back to an expression of anger.

"What are you talking about!" Rikku yells, joining the fight with a quick slash of her two daggers. Shuyin takes the hits on his sword blade, then knocks Rikku back with a quick punch before speaking.

"He is linked to me, just as I am to him. Therefore, we not only share thoughts and feelings, but strength as well. The stronger one of us becomes, the stronger the other becomes."

That statement causes my blood to run cold, as I finally manage to find a healing potion, pouring some of it over the gash in my chest and downing the rest. Yuna fires off several shots, striking Shuyin, but they barely seem to do anything as Shuyin attacks again. Quickly running in to the three girls, he begins to strike, slashing Yuna, then Paine, then Yuna again, before hitting Rikku twice and stepping back. Paine charges in a moment later, her sword coming down onto Shuyin's blade that leaves an echoing 'clang' all around the immediate area. Quickly, Shuyin spins, his blade coming out from under Paine's sword, before he slashes outward, catching Paine in the stomach with a large cut.

"So...all this time I've been training and fighting...I've really just been helping you all along..." I mutter, an expression of pure rage crossing my face as I let my anger take over. Getting back to my feet, I grip my swords tightly, raising them to the sky.

"Die! Blasting Zone!"

A beam of light blasts out of my swords, racing into the sky, and I waste no time bringing the beam down on Shuyin, causing energy to engulf the area he's standing in.

"You hurt them...I'll make you pay!"

Before I can attack again, however, Shuyin charges, flipping and spinning into the air before bringing the sword down on me. Snapping my swords up, I catch the attack and counter, a foot smashing heavily into Shuyin's gut. That gives me all the time I need to smash the hilt of my sword into his face. As I'm doing so, Shuyin slashes outward with his now-unblocked sword, catching me in the stomach and forcing me to back away.

"Leave him alone!" Yuna yells, a volley of bullets smashing into Shuyin's unprotected side and causing him to turn.

"Yeah!" Rikku adds, a pair of strikes sneaking by Shuyin's sword and catching him in the side just before Paine delivers a hard downward blow that seems to shake Shuyin with the force, despite Shuyin blocking the attack. Watching carefully, I seem to notice that even though Shuyin has the same amount of strength I have, he seems to be weakening.

Shuyin seems to wish to prove my theory wrong, however, and leaps into the air, hanging there as his sword begins to glow with energy. Slashing it across, several energy beams fly from the sword and melt into the floor before the entire area explodes around us, knocking us all to the ground. Getting up angrily, I begin to gather the energy that I have left.

"Renzokuken!"

Charging in once again, my first strike comes down at Shuyin, who predictably moves his sword to block. At the last second, I change the angle of the strike, knocking Shuyin's sword down at an angle, which allows the next of my strikes to connect. That stuns Shuyin, just long enough for me to continue my assault, landing six more slashes which seem to have a serious effect on the unsent. Spinning, I deliver a powerful kick to Shuyin's face, knocking him to the ground hard. He moves back to a standing position, but doesn't attack, instead standing and seeming to glare at the ground.

_(End Star Ocean 3 theme The True Nature of All)_

"Shuyin..." Yuna begins, almost feeling sorry for the unsent as she puts her pistols away.

"Don't try to tell me you understand," Shuyin says bitterly, shaking his head. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine say nothing, until motes of light begin to gather around Yuna's body. Glowing brighter and brighter, they begin to take form into an image of Lenne, which leaves Yuna's body and steps forward towards Shuyin.

"Lenne..." Shuyin breathes, looking at the vision in front of him. Lenne says nothing, instead moving over to Shuyin and taking his hand in hers.

"Hi there," she says, smiling.

"A thousand years, and this moment is all we get?" Shuyin says, sounding quite sad, a stark contrast from mere minutes earlier.

"This moment's enough," Lenne replies. "I don't need anything else. Just knowing how you feel is enough. Shuyin, let's end this. Let's go home."

"Can we?" Shuyin asks softly. Lenne simply places both hands on his shoulders, looking into his eyes.

"That was all a thousand years ago. We've come too far to look back now. Rest, Shuyin. Rest with me."

Nothing is said between the two, the pair instead opting to simply embrace each other, a thousand years of grief and despair melting away in an instant.

"Let's go. I have a new song for you," Lenne says, before looking over at Yuna. "Thank you."

With that said, the pair begins to glow, bright trails of light shining around their bodies before they simply fade away, returning to the heart of the Farplane. With Shuyin's departure, I can feel the mental link we once shared break, and I sigh, knowing it's truly over.

"We did it," I say, knowing that is all that needs to be said. "We won."

"Let's go home," Yuna says, smiling.

"Wait...how do we get out of here?" Rikku asks, and all of us look at the other, the question stopping us all in our tracks. Yuna just continues to smile, looking around at our confused faces.

"You have to believe," Yuna says. "Think of a place, and imagine yourself there."

"The field of flowers. Where the entrance in Guadosalam leads," I say. Everyone else seems to like the idea, and we all close our eyes, a familiar tingling sensation washing over me as I suddenly feel my body become almost weightless.

* * *

'_We made it.'_

That's the only thought running through my head right now. We walked into the very heart of the Farplane, and we made it back. Nothing else matters to me,only that we're all okay.

"Guess this is it," Rikku says, looking around.

"Looks that way," Paine replies, and Yuna nods.

"Ready?" she asks, the three of us nodding in reply. Just as we're about to begin walking towards the exit to the Farplane, however, a loud whistle stops us in our tracks. Yuna seems to freeze, looking around with an expression of disbelief on her face, but seeing nothing. A moment later, though, the fayth begins to fade into view, a small smile on his face.

"Thanks," he says simply.

"You're very welcome," Yuna replies, smiling.

"You heard it, didn't you?" the fayth asks, to which Yuna nods. "You want to see him?"

"Him?" Yuna asks, the expression on her face one of pure surprise...and hope.

"Yes. You want to walk together again?"

"Yes!" she exclaims, smiling wider than I've ever seen her smile before.

"I can't promise anything, but we'll do what we can," the fayth replies, before turning to me. "Hi."

"Hey there," I reply, smiling as well.

"I have a gift for you. You come from another world, with no way to return, save through us. Would you like the ability for yourself?"

"I don't understand..." I say, not immediately seeing what the fayth is saying.

"A way to travel between worlds and within worlds in an instant," he replies, causing my eyes to go wide.

"A way to move between worlds...you would really give me such a gift?" I ask, disbelieving.

"You have proven yourself. Your actions speak louder than any words ever could. That is why Mistress Freya offers this gift to you."

"Then...I accept," I say, smiling. The fayth simply nods, closing his eyes and beginning to chant in a language I don't understand. A warmth spreads through me, and a light flashes around me for a moment, fading in an instant.

"It's done. All you need to do is think about where you wish to go, and you will go there."

"I don't know how to thank you," I say, shaking my head softly.

"It is us who should be thanking you four." The fayth begins to vanish with that, but I step forward, holding a hand out to stop him.

"Yes?" he says, noticing my gesture.

"I feel kind of strange asking about this, after what you've just done...but I want it off my chest. Can you bring Shuyin and Lenne back?"

"What?" Yuna asks, her expression changing to shock.

"I know it seems crazy, but just hear me out," I say, turning to Yuna for a moment. "Shuyin and Lenne never got to live their life, and it wasn't even their fault...they deserve a second chance. I know it's a big request, but please...it's not right that they never got to see where life would take them." The fayth seems to ponder my statement for a minute that seems like an hour, before speaking.

"As I said, we'll do what we can. Whether they wish to return is their decision, and their decision alone."

"Thank you...I can't say how much I appreciate even the consideration for this."

"You will know if they decide to return," the fayth says, before vanishing completely. I can see Yuna murmuring something softly, and I step back over to Rikku and Paine, smiling.

"Are we ready to go?" I ask, and they nod, causing me to turn to Yuna. "Yuna?"

"I'm ready," she says, still smiling.

"Alright," I say, turning my comlink on. "Brother?"

"Yes?" he replies, a small bit of anxiousness creeping into his voice.

"Mission complete. We're at Guadosalam, pick us up there," I tell him.

"Roger!" he says, obviously happy to know we've succeeded. Far below us, I can see the platform and the entrance to Guadosalam.

"I suppose we get there the same way we got here?" I ask Yuna, who nods, closing her eyes. The familiar tingling returns, and a moment later, the four of us find ourselves standing in front of the exit to the Farplane. Without hesitation, we step through, glad to be back in the world of the living.

* * *

"Ugh...I'm glad to be off of my feet now." 

Quietly, I sit down on my bed, joined by Rikku a moment later.

"That was...quite the adventure," Rikku comments, and I find myself nodding.

"No kidding...I've had enough of giant machina to last me a lifetime." That gets a giggle out of Rikku, who grins at me.

"I thought you said you liked adventure?" she asks, and I frown.

"Adventure. Giant, planet-destroying machina. Call me crazy, but I don't think those two phrases are the same," I say, chuckling softly. "Though, when you have the three of you for friends..." That earns me a swat with the nearest object, which turns out to be a pillow.

"Are you saying you don't like our company?" Rikku asks playfully.

"I don't hate your company...more like the trouble it brings with it," I say, laughing harder now. That just earns me another hit from the pillow. "Kidding, kidding!"

"I thought so," Rikku says, putting the pillow down with a smile. Sighing, I stand up, stretching slightly as I begin to move for the door.

"Well...now that everything's finished with Vegnagun, shouldn't we get back to exploring? There's a whole world to see, you know," I comment, and Rikku shakes her head, taking my hand in hers.

"Let's have some time alone first," she says, pulling me into a kiss as the midday sun's rays shine through my window.

_(Play FFX-2 theme Ending -Until The Day We Meet Again-)

* * *

_

Well, at long last, the X-2 storyline wraps itself up. Does this mean that Eternal Requiem isover? Nope...I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve. So, as always, please review! 


	33. Epilogue: Dreams

Well, the story is finally over. I'll save my thoughts on the story for the end of this epilogue, so enjoy!

* * *

Epilogue—Dreams

_(Play FFX-2 International/Last Mission theme Wind Crest -The Three Trails-)_

"Hey, come on! The tournament starts in a few hours, you know!" Rikku yells, looking over at me as we stand on the beach at Besaid.

"I know," I reply, "but I want to finish something first."

"Well, hurry up, then! We're going to leave soon for Luca!" she says, before beginning to head back to the village. Sighing, I take out a sphere, turning it on and beginning to narrate.

"Six months...I've been here six months now, only going back home once. The longer I'm here, the more I realize how much I like being here...no matter how much has changed. Where should I begin..."

Pausing, I take a moment to gather my thoughts, before continuing.

"Yuna's happier than I've ever seen her. The reason? Tidus is back, of course. I can't think of anything else that would've made her happier, honestly. The look on her face when we arrived at Besaid and saw him standing in the water was the biggest grin I've ever seen."

* * *

_(Flashback)_

"_He really is back..." I say, smiling. As the Celsius begins to descend, the far side of the cargo bay opening to let us see the water below, Yuna runs towards the opening, skidding down slightly before taking the rest of the way in a flying leap._

"_She's awfully happy," Paine comments, and I nod._

"_If you hadn't seen your boyfriend in two years, wouldn't you be?" I say, chuckling slightly. Without another word, I begin to head to the exit, waiting for the Celsius to land._

_(End Flashback)

* * *

_

"He's not the only one, either. The fayth granted my wish. Shuyin and Lenne came back as well."

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_Silently, I stare down the form of Shuyin, standing outside of the main palace at Bevelle. For someone who was almost my mortal enemy not a day ago, the two of us are amazingly calm. Lenne is standing next to Shuyin, looking between the two of us._

"_So, you came back," I say, hoping to break the silence._

"_We did," Shuyin replies, nodding. "And...I want to thank you."_

"_Thank me?"_

"_You kept my rage and anger from destroying all that I once held dear," he says, the stoic expression on his face never changing._

"_I only did what I had to," I reply, shaking my head._

"_And for that...I am thankful."_

_Shrugging slightly, I step over to Shuyin and Lenne, a slight smile on my face._

"_So, are you coming, or not?" I ask, the question seeming to catch Shuyin off guard._

"_After what I've done..."_

"_Hey, don't worry...it won't be a problem. Trust me," I say, cutting him off. Shuyin stares at the ground for a moment, before looking at Lenne._

"_Should we?" he asks._

"_It's up to you," Lenne replies._

"_Then...lead on," Shuyin says, causing me to smile._

_(End Flashback)

* * *

_

"They've changed a lot around Spira, too. A lot of the hatred between the Al Bhed and other groups has dissolved. There are still a few out there who hate the Al Bhed, but nowhere near as many now."

"I'm pretty excited, too...there's a fighting tournament beginning today in Luca. First annual Spiran Fighters Association Grand Championship. It's supposed to have the elite fighters from all over Spira...so I'm pretty excited. I want to see where I stand. And with five hundred thousand Gil on the line...it's pretty easy to see why I've been training so hard. I've finally mastered how to use the highest black magic spells again, like Flare and Ultima, as well as white magic. I have Yuna and Lulu to thank for that. I'm even more powerful than I was two years ago..."

"Hey, come on, we're leaving!" Tidus yells at me, waving at me from the path leading back to the village. Sighing, I turn the sphere off, putting it away and turning to Tidus.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Despite all the hardships, all the good times and the bad times, I can't help but smile.

"This is my story. It'll be a good one."

_(End FFX-2 International/Last Mission theme Wind Crest -The Three Trails-)_

Fin-

* * *

Wow. 6 months of work, to finish a story that I enjoyed immensely to write. Before I say anything else, I have a list of people I'd like to thank.

I'd like to thank Iron Reaver first for letting me use Darius, the Sphere of the Fayth plotline, and just generally being there to give me encouragement, ideas, and proofreading since I started writing Destiny's Call. Can't really thank you enough. Daniel Wesley Rydell...the absolute strangest reviews I've EVER HAD, as well as letting me use Drante. Bracey Face Anime Gurl for letting me use Lenna. Fallen-Angel 2009 for helping proofread pretty much the entire first half of ER. And finally, all of my reviewers for giving me the encouragement to finish this story.

I really and truly enjoyed this story, writing it, and basically having the commitment and tenacity to see it all the way through. My overall favorite part to write would have to havebeen the fight with Darius. Four of us against pretty much overwhelming odds, when the person in question really isn't even trying. That battle tested the limits of what I could do, and how I could describe the massive power gap between our group and Darius.

What's next? Well...there's one more story in this little trilogy. It's called Dimensional Legend, and it'll start where Eternal Requiem left off. The story will pick up very quickly, and will be (more than likely) more action-packed than any story I've written so far. The first chapter should be up pretty soon, and it will also be in the FFX-2 section.

So, in closing, I'd like to thank everyone who helped me get this story to where it is now. Hope those who read enjoyed it, and hope you enjoy the story to come. It's gonna be a wild ride.


	34. Preview: Dimensional Legend

_(Play Somewhere I Belong - Linkin Park)_

Every story has its end...

(Clip of Yuna and Tidus reuniting, hugging in the water off the shore of Besaid)

Every person has their place...

(Clips of Baralai, Gippal, Nooj, Leblanc, Ben, and YRP during the Vegnagun fight)

But for Ben...his story has only just begun...

(Clip of Ben staring out over a forest on the deck of the Celsius)

A new world beckons...

(Clip of Balamb Garden, floating over the land towards Dollet)

And the path to glory is filled with obstacles...

(Clip of Ben sparring with Darius, clip of Ben dodging arrows from a line of archers)

Acquaintances will be made...

(Clip of Ben standing beside Darius and two other figures)

And enemies will be faced...

(Clip of Ben and a man in a long coat facing down a figure in white armor)

But it won't be easy, as the enemies are mighty, and the challenges immense...

(Clip of Ben and several others facing a floating, almost angelic figure, clip of Ben fighting a strange woman with dark hair)

Can destiny truly be found...or must it be made?

(Clip of Ben being blasted through the air by a torrent of water, clip of Ben being hit with a Demi spell, clip of Ben firing an Ultima spell in Angel Wing at a smirking figure)

All will be revealed...in time...

Final Fantasy VIII: Dimensional Legend.


End file.
